Stylish Crusades
by Golden Gecko
Summary: Dante, Vergil, Nero, Lady, and Trish are working for the Devil May Cry agency. Coming up against a whole host of demons, monsters, and spirits as they travel the Americas. Sometimes working alone, sometimes working together. Always working towards one common goal: The absolute destruction of evil.
1. Pine Peak Hotel: 1

The long, shinny limousine pulled up in front of the Pine Peak Hotel. The light rain fall still laid over the driveway as the grey clouds of the previous soft rain still occupied the skies. The large, six story, 458 room hotel towered over the rich, posh vehicle.

The concierge outside opened the back passenger door to the long, black car and waved out the passenger.

Stepping out with his guitar case in hand, Dante took in a long inhale of the afternoon air. His boots slightly soaked in the rain water. His red coat flowing down to his ankles and his short, white hair draped in the same style he always had it. His stone blue eyes scanning the hotel with not one emotion crossing his face.

The concierge was still bent over pointing Dante in the direction of the front doors to the hotel. Dante slightly moved his head to look at the penguin-suited man and said, "You know, stay bent over like that and I'm sure somebody will give you a tip. Just not me." That was when he walked away.

The concierge stood up a bit confused. He sneered behind Dante's back and went to go park the vehicle when the limousine driver, whoever it might have been, drove away with a squeal of the tires and a roar of the engine. Again, the concierge was left standing with a confused and upset look on his face.

Inside the hotel lobby, several of the hotel underlings had tried to take Dante's guitar case away from him. One violent and demonic look from him and there was nobody willing to go within twenty feet of the red-coated, white-haired, seemingly misanthropic young man.

He walked up to the check-in desk and asked for his room key. Reservations had already been made. The man behind the counter took a key off the wall from the rows and rows of others. He handed it to Dante and he couldn't help but smile at the old style key. It was one that had an actual key with the large, imitation leather tab attached to the key. The room number stitched into it. It felt good in his hand.

He turned around to head there when suddenly a woman came up to the check-in desk of head turning beauty. She was an older woman but that didn't take away from her in anyway. In fact, it only added to her unparallel beauty.

Dante had to stop and admire her but didn't say anything knowing that she would be the first one to say something. He did however make sure that she noticed him looking at her.

She did noticed but she had played this game before. More times then she could keep track of. She eyed him up and then said, "Well, are we going to stair at each other all day or are you going to introduce yourself?"

"Well, its not like I have a problem with that alternative however I guess we have important matters to get busy with. I'll start - names Dante."

She smiled not hearing the name for a long time. "Dante? What an old name. It gives you a sort of ancient, foreboding air about you. Like a girl should be weary of you."

"I guess that's up to the girl but I get the feeling you're not too concerned."

"Fascinated would be a better word. Of course, I'm no girl. I am all woman." She said letting her hands slip down her waist. Her dark purple dress folding at her very touch outlining her voluptuous legs. She wore a woman's cloak along with the dress of a matching color with an even darker purple. Her chest hidden by a woman's vest and a black business dress shirt. Her long, flowing, raven hair stretching down to her lower back and her large eyes, emerald in color, with a tinge of bright purple. Dante had picked up on her eyes right away.

She then introduced herself, "I am countess Lydia." She extended her hand so he would take it in a gentlemanly fashion.

Smiling a bit, Dante said, "My hands are a bit full Lydia."

Lydia just lowered her hand and looked at the guitar case in his hand and said, "Oh, a musician are you?" She received her key and flashed it in front of him and said, "Maybe you can play for me later?"

He made an entranced moan and said, "You may not like my song."

She turned to stair at him walking backwards, "I'm sure there's a way you can pluck those string to entice…" She nearly tripped over a small girl in the lobby who was only about age 5 and seemed to be playing with a kitten in the lobby totally oblivious to all the adults around her.

Lydia caught herself though and looked down menacingly at the playful child. The child was dressed in a powder blue dress made of seemingly expensive lace. She had on black dress shoes and white stockings. She was playing with a small grey and brown kitty.

Lydia growled with an almost demon sound to her voice and yelled at the small girl, "You petulant, sickly looking, little vermin! Wiping you from the face of the Earth would be not only a service but a heroic endeavor!" Lydia twisted her head so her hair would fly out at the child.

The small girl was left in the lobby with her kitty hissing at the woman and a dumbfounded look on her face. She pouted and then started to cry until two black boots stared her in the face. She looked up with her kitty close to her chest and a sad look to her eyes.

Dante extended his hand down to her and helped the 5yr old to her feet. He then said to her, "You shouldn't play were adults are. You can get hurt. We adults tend to play some pretty violent games with each other."

She nodded her head rubbing her teary eyes and said, "Thank you, mister." Walking away with the kitty dangling down from her arms.

Dante slightly smiled and said, "My pleasure, little lady."

Dante went to his room and no sooner that he entered, he got a phone call from Morrison. He picked up the phone with his foot and held it with his hand up to his ear, "Hello Morrison, What kind of lame job did you hook me up with now?"

"How did you know it was me Dante?"

"Because you're the only one dumb enough to call me before I call room service for a pizza."

"Well, its good to hear your voice too Dante. Have you located the target yet?"

"Oh yeah. I even saw the purple tinge to her eyes. Are you sure Lady's right about this?"

"Damn it Dante, this grand-high witch is nothing to take lightly. Lady wouldn't have had me pass along the job if she wasn't sure."

Dante spun the phone like one of his guns and said, "Witches. You know I don't do witches!"

"There about as devilish as you can get without finding a demon. Besides, this is the grand-high witch. According to Lady, she won't be the only one there either." No sooner did Morison say that, did several ladies pass by Dante's room door. He looked out and saw at least five more pass on by behind the others.

He got up and looked out into the hallway as three more passed on by. He saw the slight purple tinge but it was hard for him since they seemed to be in a hurry to wherever they were going.

"Dante?" Morison yelled. "DANTE!" Morison yelled out again but this time Dante answered him.

"Got to go Morison. Looks like a convention." Dante threw the receiver back onto the old phone and walked out into the hall. He found himself back in the lobby and saw all the women jam-packing themselves into a meeting hall. He went up to the front desk and asked the man, "Excuse me, but what is going on?"

The man at the desk answered back, "Why you remember the lady you were talking to earlier?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Well, she is the chairwoman of a very big children's organization. They're a sort of Big Sisters' company. All the funding is from donations. Isn't that nice of her?"

Dante looked over at the guy and even he seemed to be smitten by the ladies. He just said monotoned, "Wonderful. I'll be right back." Going back to his room to his guitar case. He snapped it open and looked at his equipment. Sword and guns both there to do what they did best.


	2. Pine Peak Hotel: 2

Inside the large meeting room, Countess Lydia stood at a podium at the end of the room watching the women pile in. When all the seats were filled she had one woman get up and check if anyone else was out there. The man at the check-in desk came running up before the woman could shut the door and said, "Will there be anything else?"

The woman looked up at her countess who seemed to be getting impatient and then said, "No I don't think so." She tried to close the door again but again the man jammed himself in the doorframe and said, "I'll send in room service with some snack for you fine ladies, okay?"

The lady at the door quickly said, "Great!" She then got the large door closed and then locked it. She turned around and gave a thumbs-up to Lydia.

Lydia gave a head nodded and the woman took her pervious seat. Lydia looked at the women and said, "Remove your shoes."

A clattering was heard throughout the entire meeting room as the women removed their shoes and all of them had square ends to their feet. Some of them began to rub their feet feeling the over washing sensation of freedom to be out of the restrictive footwear.

Lydia then pointed at all of them and said, "The wigs are next!"

Suddenly, all the women in the room removed their hair as most of them had irritated and Psoriasis-looking rashes on their bald heads. Scalp Rash caused by their heavy wigs.

"Now, you may extend those claws of yours."

A loud, meaty gnashing was heard as all the woman in the room had their nails chipped off by underlying claws that were malformed and looked like yellow bear claws that shouldn't belong on any human. Even on their toes did these claws come out and extended.

Lydia had not partaken in any of these acts. She was just watching the others go through their subtle but disgusting changes. She had a bigger and lengthier change to go through.

When she was satisfied that all the witches in the room had become comfortable, she then said, "And now, the masks."

Some of the women in the room only had some makeup to remove covering up discolored warts and blemishes. Others took off whole latex masks that covered their faces. Wrinkles and other deformed looking things on their faces were exposed. Big noses, small scratches from children they had put to only God knew what ends, pot-marks that indented their face making it look like road crews had worked on their faces, and growing hair that gave them visible mustaches and slight beards.

After that, Lydia still looked like her pretty self. She then saw all of them had gotten their masks off and she said to them, "Now, if you don't mind," Sounding sarcastic and mean, "I will prep myself."

She turned around and took a pose with her arms above her head and her one leg sensually outward. Putting a sexy emphasis on her back and backside. She then drove her fingernails into her back pulling all the skin right off her body. It came off easily like a flesh-colored coat and revealed a green scaly undersurface. Her entire being was changed and when she turned around she was an entirely different being.

She had this huge head with green scales and big lips with huge sharp teeth. Looking somewhat like a big-lipped alligator. Her whole body had become fat and her hips basically folded around the podium. Her butt protruding out at least four feet. She now stood at least twelve feet high and her eyes were bright purple beacons of evil. Her hands dug into the podium with claws that put all the others to shame.

She looked at the witches in the room and said, "Witches of Pine Peak," Her voice still had that lovely tone to it. "You're a disgrace!"

The witches in the room let out a collective gasp.

"Good for nothing! Not more then a couple of minutes ago did I trip on a rugrat in this very lobby!" She said, pointing to the locked doors. She continued on, "This place swarms with vermin! I cannot eat them all myself!"

Whispering began amongst the witches.

"Silence!"

Silence was indeed observed.

"I am tired of this incompetence! I have a plan though. One that will…"

Suddenly, a grey and brown kitten ran across the floor and the small girl from before followed the kitty out into everyone's view. Most of the witches looked on in disgust and horror but Lydia had a disgusting smile slide across her deformed face. One with drool dripping from her gargantuan-like maw. She threw the podium to the side and grabbed the girl by her back.

The kitten hid in the corner hissing at the big, ugly monster.

Lydia held up the girl and growled at her. "I haven't had a snack yet." Her tongue flopped out of her mouth and she began to shove the kid down her hungry maw when suddenly a knock came at the door.

The girl's feet dangled above Lydia's teeth when she heard the knock and Lydia looked at the door with the girl still in her clutches.

The witch from before, that had closed the doors, looked at the door and shrugged her shoulders. Lydia motioned towards the doors angrily saying, "Get rid of them!"

The witch jumped out of her chair with vigor and went up to the doors and leaned into the doors and asked, "Who is it?"

A man's voice came through, "Room service."

"Come back later! We don't want any…"

Suddenly, the doors were kicked open sending the witch flying backwards and crashing into several rows of chairs. There, in the large door frame, stood Dante holding the Rebellion over his shoulders with a sly smile on his face and a quick glace at the entire room, "Oh but I insist!"

He walked into the meeting room with a spin of his sword and looked down the rows of chairs with all of the witches in the chairs. His boots making an echo on the hardwood floors of the meeting room. He was walking right towards Lydia as he said, "Well now, I can see why you ladies need your privacy. I mean look at her," He said pointing to a witch across the room with his sword, "Good god, looks like her mother had sex with a donkey!"

The witch he was pointing at growled at him with this jutting mouth of hers not to mention her discolored and disjointed teeth.

He made progress down the rows until he came five feet from Lydia and acted surprised, "And whoa!" He said reeling backwards, over exaggerating his situation. He saw the stretched purple attire knowing it was Lydia. "Anybody tell you the dragon look is out!"

She threw the kid at the wall and Dante instinctively acted. He jumped for the kid and grabbed her by her stomach. He landed on the floor with her in hand. He let her go gently and she fearfully went to go get her kitten. She picked it up and suddenly there was a witch right in her face ready to rip her limb from limb.

Spinning Ivory in his hand, Dante sent one bullet right through the witch's skull and the child killing woman fell down to the wooden floor dead. The small girl ran right back to her red-coated savior and he looked down at her. "Sorry dear, this show is for adults only."

She looked at the witches with a frightened look and then looked back up at Dante, "Thanks again mister."

She started to make her way out of the meeting room with at least three witches going for her. Dante easily shot them away gaining most of the room's attention as the girl had escaped.

Dante tucked Ivory back under his coat and looked around the room. He spun his sword with one hand and said to Lydia, "Well you wanted to see me play. You've already seen the opening act. How about the main event?"

The entire room launched at him and he couldn't help himself from saying, "Showtime!" They were just deformed humans to Dante. Not much more powerful then average humans. He easily turned the entire room into a bloodbath. The ladies being cut and sliced into chunks of meat by Dante's demon killing blade.

Before he was done, he had his sights set on two witches who ran out of the room in fear of the blood-splattered demon slayer. Dante held Rebellion proficiently and just spun the sword back onto his back.

He turned back around and Lydia was in front of him ready for war. She was breathing heavily and was ready to tear the meddlesome, white haired man apart.

Dante just made a slight smile and said, "Well, maybe this will be a bit fun!"

Purple beams blasted from Lydia's eyes and Dante jumped away dodging the two beams of energy. The two beams slashed through the room like lasers blowing away the chairs and singeing the floor black.

Landing were the podium use to be, Dante pulled both of his guns and sent a hailstorm of bullets right into Lydia's back. Lydia cried out with pain and fell to the ground and Dante halted the assault. Lydia looked back at him and said, "Please, you wouldn't do this to a lady, would you?"

Dante jumped down and put his guns back pulling his sword. He swung it in front of him and said, "You ma'am are no lady."

He raised his sword but suddenly Lydia had him in her grasp and sent him through at least two rows of seats. He stopped just short of going through the wall but shook it off like he had just fallen in some sand.

She came at him like a raging bull but he whipped his sword in front of him and drove his blade right through her throat. She choked as she took the blade in her mouth and he just casually said, "Now, for the final act."

He then ripped his sword upward and sliced Lydia's head right in half. The large monster spurted a dark colored blood and fell to the floor like a knocked over building. A rumble came up through the floor boards as the impact even shook Dante.

He just grabbed the collar of his coat and shook it off returning his sword to the sheath on his back. He walked out of the room with dead bodies everywhere including the monster.

In the doorway were at least five shocked hotel employees including the man at the check-in desk. He stood with his mouth a gap as Dante pushed past him. With a melancholy tone to his voice, Dane clearly said, "Send the bill to a guy named Morrison. He'll take care of all the damage."

Dante walked out of the hotel and saw Lady there on a bright blue motorcycle. She revved the engine with her two guns at her hips and her rocket launcher on her back. She was wearing a visor helmet that was the same color as the bike.

Flipping up the back tails of his coat, Dante got on behind her and Lady looked back at him with the visor on her helmet up, "So, did you dust the witch?"

Situating himself, he said, "Like a coffee table."

"I hope you didn't tell the hotel to send the bill to Morrison."

"Now come on, what kind of guy do you take me for?"

"I was just going to say," She revved the engine as she said, "He'd probably clear some of your tab if you didn't." The engine quieted as she finished. "Since it was a favor to me."

"I know it was a favor to you, what was that middle part?"

"Buckle up." She said, putting the visor down on her riding helmet and took off like a blazing blue bullet. The two of them disappeared as the little girl was waving goodbye to Dante from a window in the hotel. The tiny kitten still in her loving arms.

* * *

**(A/N: Reviews are always welcomed. Let me know if this is something you would like to see continued or should I just give it up now. Unlike a lot of my other stories I have no planned ending in sight to this so it will go on and on for awhile. Only if you want it to though. Really don't want to waste the site's time on stuff you don't like.)**


	3. Devil's Daycare: 1

Lady raced past the autumn trees as they stood like dying sentinels. Leaves blew up past her racing bike like a giant orange cape. She tore past the town sign as it swung harshly from her fast moving bike blowing by. If she had bothered to slow down, she would have read on it:

_SAMHAINVILLE_

Where everyday is a really treat!

Population: 10,310

She had not bothered to tell any of the others about the town. She wanted to handle this one personally. She had heard vague rumors about the town of Samhainville but she needed to see if they were true. Six children in the town had gone missing in the past three days with absolutely no press coverage in the town or any police investigation. Why? Lady was going to find out.

She came on the first buildings she had seen in awhile. One on the right hand side of the road was a video store and to the left was a gas station. As she slowed down and drove casually through town, she got a small town vibe. She past by a few more video stores, a gas station, the fire department, the police station, and a few more video stores. She stopped at the second-to-last video store she saw before heading into the suburbs. She took off her sunglasses and asked herself, "Huh, I wonder if this town has enough video stores?" Looking opposite the video store she saw another video store. She put on her glasses and said, revving the engine, "That answers my question." She took off for the suburbs.

She entered the square roadways and saw house after house. She then stopped in front of one of the houses and got off her bike. Her weapons expertly concealed on the back of the bike. She knew she couldn't ask questions and get answers with a rocket launcher on her back. Well, not civilly anyway.

She looked over the two story house and whistled to herself as she approached the white picket fence, "Hmm, I wonder where the nice doggy is?"

She walked onto the property crossing the threshold and she only got about four steps before she noticed the chain behind the house. It started to come towards her as something attached to it began to come after her from behind the house. From around the corner, came the meanest dog Lady had ever seen. It seemed to be some Doberman/Great Dane mix. It was held by the chain just about a foot from her. It barked and snarled at her and pulled to get at her as the small, weak chain held it back. It was big enough that as it barked and struggled, it was already about as tall as Lady. She just pulled her sunglasses down a bit and said, with her heterochromatic eyes, "Doggy - check. Nice - not hardly."

It snarled and bit at her wanting to be free of the small, puny chain that flimsily held it at bay. She just said to it, as she finally took off her amber-colored glasses putting them away, "You're meaner then some devils I've tangled with."

From out of nowhere, a man's voice entered Lady's ear, "Mundus - Infernum erria!"

The dog sat down calming down but still was quietly growling at Lady.

Lady quickly swung her head to the front door of the house and saw a normal looking man standing in the doorway with a maroon sweater on with beige dress pants. Black slippers on his feet with a mug of hot coffee in his hand.

She approached him carefully with one eye still fixed on the dog. "You named your dog Mundus?"

He took a sip of the still steaming coffee and nodded his head, "I forget where I heard the name but it seemed appropriate."

She agreed.

"Sorry, how can I help you?"

Lady tried her best not to be distracted by the dog and said, "I'm Mary Ann, I work with Monthly American News. I wanted to talk to you about your daughter."

A woman then came to the door next to the man and asked, "Honey, who is it?"

The man replied, "Just a news reporter, dear. Wanted to ask some questions about our daughter."

The woman wore a night gown and seemed to be a trophy wife. She gripped her chest and said, "Oh yes, it was so horrible. She was blown to pieces."

Lady twitched a bit. Not just because of what she had said but the way she said it. Not one pause, not a tear in her eye. Nothing. No emotion, no reaction, not even a break in her voice.

Lady decided to see how much she could push this, "I know this must be difficult for you."

The woman said, "Oh yes. I can barely talk about it."

Again, it sounded as though she was being facetious without being facetious.

Lady heard a short growl from Mundus and she looked over at the big dog trying not to be scared of it. She swallowed hard and asked, "Well, how did it happen?"

The mother answered. "She just started playing with a gas can and was just gone." A fake smile crossing her face.

Several warning flags were going up about this couple with Lady. She got the feeling that they also wanted her away from them.

The woman then pulled a tray from out of nowhere with small yellow cake squares on it. "Would you like a lemon square, sweetie?"

Lady just looked at the sweet treats like they were filled with cyanide. She tried to remain calm and said, "No thank you."

The woman grabbed one from the tray and hungrily ate at it. Smearing the treat into her mouth and all over her face. She seemed to more than enjoy the taste of the small snack, she seemed to indulge herself like a drug addict with it. Getting some kind of sexual pleasure from the sweet. She looked at Lady and said with an ecstatic tremble to her voice, "Oh baby, when life give you lemons, you make lemon squares!"

Lady curled up her lip in disgust and said, "Well, thanks for your time." She turned to leave but she heard the man's voice.

"Hey, if there is anything else we can do for you, let us know."

Lady didn't even give then a slight head nod as she got back on her bike. She got ready to leave but she then saw another house across the street with the curtain slightly open. She saw a small boy looking at her and that was when the boy dropped the curtain and hid from her gaze.

Curiously, Lady took off from the neighborhood with the couple giving her a monstrous look. They looked across the street knowing that the boy had been looking at the hunter woman. They both stepped back inside as the mother in her nightgown didn't even both picking up the lemon squares nearly shoving the entire plate into her mouth with her husband giving her a loving shoulder pat.

Lady arrived at another one of the dead kids' house and the same white picket fence surrounded the property. She walked past the fence and saw a small chain in the yard. She took a couple of steps and suddenly another dog was on her, barking its brains out at her.

This one was a white, wolf looking dog. Not near as big as the other but just as fearsome. Lady couldn't help but say, "Déjà-vu."

A man answered the door with a pipe in hand and asked, "Can I help you?"

After another strange Q&A with the parents of the other dead child and getting presented with a slice of meatloaf, Lady was back on her bike getting ready for four more of them. She was not looking forwards to four more of them.

Gripping the throttle, a piece of paper landed in her lap and she looked at it curiously. She looked up and saw the same kid from the window riding away from her on a red bicycle. She opened up the folded piece of paper and looked at what was written:

PETE'S VIDEO STORE

4:00 PM

MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWED!

She looked around as she put the note away. At least four of the houses with people looking out of their windows at her which she did notice. They obviously saw the kid petal by too. She revved the bike and took off.

She passed Pete's but she had a black car tailing her. She lost it down a few alleyways and out onto an open road. Doubling back, she parked near the video store. She saw the kid right outside the front doors with his bike. He went to say something but then he caught a glimpse of a hunter-green car that drove by. He grabbed Lady's arm and lead her inside the video store. She saw the car too and knew why he dragged her inside.

The guy at the front desk was a pudgy guy with lazy eyes and long blonde hair that went down to his elbows. He was reading a magazine.

The kid made sure there was nobody else was around and asked Lady, "You want know about the dead kids?"

Lady knelt down and said, "What do you know?"

The boy took a quick glance around the corner and said, "There's something wrong with this town."

"I think that's an understatement."

He threw out his arm, "Look around lady! Look at the movies on these shelves. There's nothing but action and horror."

Standing up, Lady did take a look around and only saw racks labeled with letters but she could see the movies behind the kid. There was not one title that seemed to be a love story, a comedy, or a sport's title. All action and horror titles. She kneeled back down and the boy said, "Every movie store is like that. I know there's other movies out there. I have seen the advertisements for them on other movies. My parents and the others, they never wanted me to see those. And the idiots at the desks say they don't carry any of those 'sissy' titles."

"What's your name?" Lady asked putting a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Zack."

"Alright Zack, what can you tell me about the other kids?"

"They weren't strong enough."

"Strong enough? For what?"

"I don't know. My parents and the rest say I fit the bill."

Lady felt eyes on her and looked at the geek at the counter. He had been eyeing her though she wasn't sure if it was because he was spying on her or undressing her. Either way, she felt she could use it to her advantage later. She looked back at Zack and said, "What bill?"

"They wanted me and the rest for something. One way or another though they all fell off the face of the earth. It's like we were in some competition with each other we didn't know about."

Lady began running the information down in her head. She took another quick glance at the man up front. He was gawking at her and she now knew he was doing both. Spying on their conversation and checking her out. She smiled a bit and said to Zack, "I want you to go back home and pretend…"

"No! It's happening tonight!"

"What?"

"I don't know! Lady, I'm scared."

Lady put both of her hands on his shoulders and said, "It going to be okay. I'll come for you around seven and I'll take you out of town."

"Away from my parents and this psychotic town?"

"Yep!"

Zack wrapped a tight hug around Lady and Lady had an angelic smile come over her face. She returned the hug and patted Zack on the back. She then said, "Everything'll be okay, kid. I promise."

He then went out the door for his bike. He rode straight home while Lady was left in the video store with the pudgy, retail person coming right at her. She stood ready for anything but what happen next.

The geeky looking guy put one greasy paw on her exposed thigh and tried to jam his tongue right down her throat. Lady was too quick though and shoved him away instinctively going for her gun. Unfortunately, she forgot she left her equipment on her bike.

The sales clerk went back a step and with now red, piercing eyes said, "I just wanted a taste of your goods before I did this!" He went at Lady and shoved her back so hard she came off her feet and slammed into the racks behind her. She slid down the wall breaking about six racks and having forty jewel DVD cases fall on her.


	4. Devil's Daycare: 2

She got up a bit surprised by the strength of the clerk. Human - yes - but she had been through enough cases before. He was being influenced by a demonic power. He could still die mortally but she had to get to her guns.

She went for a punch but he grabbed her fist and grabbed her by the throat throwing her into several racks of movies. She slipped on some cases on the downed racks as she struggled to get to her feet. The sales clerk grabbed her by the butt making a sickening moan as he did. He then latched onto the top of her shirt and picked her right up and threw her through a giant glass window right into the parking lot. She flew through the glass, her body tumbling through the pane and then rolling on the gravel of the parking lot with the broken glass following after her.

She moved slowly as pain was starting to set in. Her muscles tense and her head feeling like it was going to explode. She barely saw her bike as she began to crawl for her bike. Trying to get to her gear.

The geeky man came walking out of the video store and licked the hand he had on her butt. He made another moan and said, "Oh, this serving demons stuff has its perks."

Walking over to Lady he kicked her right in the face sending her rolling away from her bike. She spit up a bit of blood from her busted mouth and tried to get to her feet. He stomped on her back and waved his index finger at her. "Tisk-tisk." He said ripping her belt from her hips and pulled down her skirt revealing her panties. "Oh-ho! Thank you Mundus!"

Lady swung around with her legs and kicked him right in the face knocking him to the ground. He was back up in no time like she had just lightly smacked him. She put back on her skirt and ripped the bag from her bike with her equipment in it. She grabbed her handgun and aimed it right at the store clerk. She pulled the trigger and sent a bullet right into his groin.

A blast of blood exploded from the wound and brought the geeky, demon influenced human to his knees. Lady quickly got her weapons and now was set for war. She holstered her handgun and whipped out her sub-machine gun. She put the barrel right to the clerks head and put on her sunglasses. "Now," She said with a trail of blood coming from her mouth but still looking in control, "Tell me everything you know!"

He looked up at her with those red, shinnying eyes and said, "You'll never stop it! Lord Mundus needs his vessel! A powerful vessel. You're too late! They've already taken the boy for the ceremony! He will become the destroyer of the world!"

Pulling the trigger, Lady sent at least six bullets into the temple of the clerk. He fell down dead and Lady put her gun back. She got on her bike and raced to Zack's house remembering exactly where it was.

She got about five yards from it when she was stopped by a vanguard of townsfolk. They all looked at her with those red eyes and growled evilly at her. Some of them had guns while others had kitchen utensils they were going to plunge into her anatomy.

Suddenly, they came running at her with the instruments and she revved the bike. She took off for the backyard of Zack's house and blasted through the back patio glass door. She charged upstairs on foot and found Zack's room but he was not in it. She found a small book with a pentagram on it and took it but when she went to leave, she was stop by two dogs. The big Doberman/Great Dane, Mundus and the other white wolf looking dog. They growled at her fiercely and walked into the room with teeth bared. Lady took a step back but then grabbed Kalina Ann and said with a devilish smile, "Sit!"

She launched the rocket and blew the entire room apart with her landing in the backyard with a flaming hole in the house. She looked back up at the blown out hole and said, "Good doggie!"

Running back to her bike, she saw the townspeople coming after her. She raced off for a hiding place. She passed by a playground and stopped there. She opened the pentagram book and read a lot of praises to many demons. Even passing by Mundus's name more then a few times. Then, she found the ceremony. It had to take place somewhere underground and a place where a lot of people could gather. She drove around looking for such a place until she found a factory with a direct route to the sewer line. Entering the factory cautiously, she looked around for any guards. Finding none, she found the door to the sewer.

Having a problem opening the door, she finally pried it open and did not expect the smell of charcoal to fill her nostrils. Also, this strange chanting filled her ears. She walked down some stairs cautiously and passed a few torches. Which seemed weird to her that the gases in the sewer did not ignite because of the torches.

She grabbed one off the wall as that chanting was getting louder and louder as she progressed. She had her sub-machine gun out and held it flimsily paying more attention to where she was going.

She came around a corner and quickly went back against the wall. In the room was at least three-hundred people, all of whom where in dark robes praying to some alter with a huge stone statue of a face with three eyes on it. Definitely an alter to Mundus.

On the alter was Zack. He was tied to a table and was struggling to get free. A man stood over him and put his hands on the boy's chest. Lady heard Zack start pleading with the man, "Please dad, don't do this!" His tears choking his words.

The man left his hand's on Zack's chest and said, "Ladies and gentleman, this is what we have waited for. Lord Mundus's power to be delivered to our new leader. Zack here will rule the world for the god Mundus. He will prepare the entire Earth for the return of the demon god Mundus."

Lady decided it was time to make her presence known. She raised her gun in the air and shot off a couple of rounds. All of the people in the area looked at her with those red eyes. She lowered the gun to eye level and said, "Okay, every one just back away from the boy. Especially you." She pointed the gun right at Zack's father. He backed away from the boy slowly as Lady went to the alter. A few people tried to stop her but she shot them away just as quickly. She got up to the table and grabbed a dagger off of the alter. She cut Zack's binds and grabbed the boy by the hand and lead him out.

Zack's dad shouted out, "You can't hide him from the god Mundus. He's everywhere, he's in everything! He will get Zack, if not today then some other day! I count on it!"

Lady returned her sub-machine gun and aimed Kalina Ann right at the three-hundred strong devil worshippers and said, "Yeah, but you won't live to see it!" she shot the rocket for him and it flew right for him as he welcomed his own death.

The explosion engulfed the worshippers as Lady raced with the kid up the stairs. The fire followed the two right up the stairs as the entire system was destroyed in a huge fireball. Lady, with the kid in her arms, jumped out of the factory as several explosions engulfed the factory turning it into rubble.

Lady got on her bike with Zack as a powerful demonic force began to accumulate. She raced out of Samhainville as red lightning followed her to the outskirts of town. A low tone voice was heard and Lady held onto the grip of her handgun as the voice said, "Zack! You will be back! I will eat your soul and digest your body! You are mine!"

Lady raced past the sign and the sign again waved in the speeding draft of her bike. The red lighting hit the sign and it disappeared into black ash.

Swerving the bike around, Lady stopped in front of the town and watched a black dome cover the road with red lightning all over it. It then dissipated and the entire town of Samhainville was gone. Mundus had destroyed the entire town wiping in from the Earth.

Zack got off the bike reluctantly and walked towards the disappeared town. He swallowed and said to Lady, "Will he find me?"

Lady took off her sunglasses, now that night had taken the land. She said, "Yeah, probably. You will be on the run for the rest of your life. He will try again for you and you will never have a normal life. I'm sorry Zack."

"Oh come on! You saved my life. You gave me at least a fighting chance. Thank you."

Lady extended her hand and said, "Come on, I know of a very nice orphanage not too far from here."

He walked over to her and rejected her offer. "Nah. I think I am going to have to learn to fend for myself. I don't won't to risk anybody else's life looking after me."

Lady looked at him sadly, "I can't leave you alone."

"Just drive me to the next town. I'll come up with something."

Lady helped him onto the bike and said sadly, "I am so sorry."

"About what?"

"I kind of killed your parents back there."

"Well, they were kind of trying to sacrifice me to some demon god."

"Not just any demon god either. Dante should know about this."

"Who?"

"Buckle up!" With that, Lady raced down the street to the nearest town. She had no worries about the boy. He was strong and seemed to catch on quick. Though, Mundus seemed to be back in the game and Dante had to know. It seems the demon king was trying to make a spectacular comeback!


	5. Electric Boogaloo: 1

Trish's head bobbed up and down as the large vehicle entered the prison parking lot. The armored car came to a halt as the warden was the first out of the back with three other guards and Trish.

Trish had on her usual black attire with the sword of Sparda on her back. Ombra and Lucie on her hips and reflective sunglasses on her face. She walked sexily towards the prison as she looked up at it. She couldn't help but say to herself, "Old brickwork."

The warden heard and stepped back and asked, "Is there something significant to that?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "Possibly."

The warden just said, "Yes well, you didn't come here to admire are prison."

"Your prison is a haven for ghosts and demons warden. This old brickwork is reminiscent of Masonry work. As in the Free Masons. I grant you nowhere near on their level but still worth an evil spirit checking it out."

Getting in her face, the warden said, "Look! I'm letting you into this prison as a favor to the families that that - monster has destroyed. You're lucky I'm letting you keep those weird-ass weapons of yours too. Even more lucky that I don't check up on what organization you're with. You look like no FBI, CIA, NSA agent I have ever seen. Now, if you would please?" He asked, letting his hand guide her to the front door.

She just walked calmly by him and into the prison with the three guards behind her and the warden trailing behind. The doors shut automatically and the group passed by three checkpoints. Each time the warden had to come up with some fantastic story as to why this woman, with skin tight attire, was walking around a prison with an evil looking sword and two handguns at her side.

They went through some long corridors. Some had cells that housed the regular prisoners. Each one giving Trish a whistle. She flaunted herself in front of them not worried about what they could do to her if they got out. She knew they would try to victimize her but she was no easy victim.

Proceeding down into the bowels of the prison they came to Death Row. They passed by a few cells. Most were empty but some were not. Trish passed by one cell with a small, wiry man. He was nearly bald and had his hands on his face. He looked at her and said, "Have you come to watch me die." His voice was drawn and full of regret.

Trish looked at him curiously. She approached the bars and the warden said, "This is not the man…"

Trish removed her glasses as she interrupted the warden, "I know!"

The wiry man got up from the cot and looked at her. She looked back at him with her lovely blue-green eyes. He then said, "I never thought I would ever see a woman again. I must remember to thank God when I see him for sending me such an angel. Even if it is for just a brief moment before I die."

Shaking her head, Trish said, "Believe me, I'm no angel."

"Says who? Because whoever said it, they're wrong!"

"I did." She then turned away from the man and said to the warden, "He's innocent you know."

Watching Trish walk down the hall, the warden caught up with her and asked, "How do you know that?"

"I can see it in his eyes." Trish said, putting back on her reflective sunglasses. "Whatever your condemning him for, he didn't do it."

"Your not here for him!"

"I know." Trish said as she walked down another hallway connected by a large steel door. Down this hallway were cells as well but down at the end was one cell on the left that had a steel door rather then prison bars. That was the one she was heading for.

She stood in front of the door and knocked on the door. The man inside removed the steel slate from the small looking slot and said, "You must be here to watch me die."

"That I am. The families of victims think that not even death can stop you. So they hired me to make sure that when you're dead, you stay dead. Getting paid pretty well too. Over a hundred families contacted the agency I work for." Trish said, not really relishing being in the present of such a maniacal killer.

A small laugh came from the killer, "You should tell them that their family members went to serve a better purpose. Their names will be remembered when the war is over."

"What war?"

"Come now, you must feel it? Its in the air like a bad smell. In the back of your throat like a dead fly that got in there. Your head stuck in a dead animal."

"Boy, you're one sick little monster aren't you? Too bad the world won't know the favor these people are doing for them." She said, referring to the prison guards.

"My master will not allow me to die for that very purpose. He has use of my talents in the coming battle on this world. Oh, how little you know of my skills, lady. Even less of my masters."

"I had a master once. I'm guessing yours isn't too different from mine. They're all the same. Greedy, homicidal beasts who deserve nothing more then getting their throats slit and their egomaniacal heads chopped off!"

"Oooh, quite the brutal master you had once!"

"You have no idea." Trish walked away from the door and was lead by one of the guards and the warden to the viewing room of the electric chair. The others stayed at the door to retrieve the prisoner when it was time She sat there for awhile staring at the chair until she saw them bring in the prisoner. The warden spoke as the over six foot tall, muscle bound inmate was brought in. "Darius Planter. I hope this gives the victims some retribution."

"I don't know about them but I'll get a thrill from seeing this. Tell me, how long has he been going on about his master?"

"As long as he has been killing. As long as he has been here. That ends right here, right now! I can't tell you how many guards have been hurt and inmates this evil person has slaughtered."

"Can you give me a rough estimate?"

"I lost track at ten."

Darius was strapped into the restraints of the chair as he looked at the onlookers with a slight, sadistic smile. He looked at the guards and said, "Get this over quickly! I got things to do for my master."

The warden said to the guards through an intercom system, "You heard the man, light him up!"

Trish was finally getting her first good look at the man's face. She saw he was in his late thirties and a very strong muscular man. His muscles bulged from the orange jumpsuit with torn sleeves. His head had been shaved baled and right in the middle of his forehead he had a small but detailed tattoo. A tattoo of an open eye.

"Stop!" Trish screamed out, seeing the open eye tattoo on his forehead.

It was too late though as the executioner flipped the switch and the juice rolled through Darius's body. Convulsing with some several million volts passing through his body, a stream of white fluid came from his mouth as he appeared to be laughing. The electricity danced and shocked him for five minutes before he looked at the warden and Trish. A smile wrapped around his face as he gripped the arm rests of the chair. Digging into them he let out this bass-tone roar as his body disappeared from the chair. The bolts of electricity in the room traveled up the ceiling and down the walls launching out like fingers for the warden and Trish.

Trish jumped right through the glass pulling the Sparda in one fluid motion. She took a slice for the chair hoping to cut Darius in half but all she did was wreck the chair. He was gone.

In shock, the warden yelled out, "Kill the juice!"

The executioner shut off the switch and the electric chair calmed down from its chaotic state.

Back in the chamber, Trish kicked the pieces of the chair to the side. "Damn it!" She jumped back out into the viewing area where the warden was still in shock.

He looked at her, with a gaping mouth asking, "What just happened?"

Trish simply said, "You gave him exactly what he wanted."

"I've been warden here for nearly twenty years, I've never seen 'Sparky' act like that before!"

Trish walked up to the warden and said, "I need to see his cell."

"Why?" the warden asked a bit confused.

"Because we are in a lot of danger! I need to see his cell!"

Fearfully agreeing, the warden lead Trish out and back to Darius cell.

When they got there, they were greeted with an unusual sight. Two guards were down on the ground like they were sleeping. The warden took it as such while Trish knew better.

The two checked the guards and both of them were barely breathing. The warden called for some help while Trish kicked in the locked, steel door to Darius cell.

Inside, she found more than she bargained for. All along the walls was a repeating symbol. Three circles with filled circles on the inside connected in a triangular formation by two bolts of lightning. Trish recognized the symbol instantly. At the back of the cell was a small sink that Darius had made into an alter. She saw an animal's severed head with an eye in the middle. It was an effigy to hail Mundus. The warden walked in and then he walked right back out nearly vomiting on seeing the gruesome display.

Trish looked all around the cell as she backed off slowly from the small room. Her hand firmly on the hilt of Sparda. The symbols in the room began to glow a bright color red as she backed away. Seeming to hum a continuous tone that progressively got louder as Trish back off into the hallway. She felt a surge of power building.

Removing her sword, she looked at the warden, "This might be a good time for you to seek shelter."

"Why?"

Blue bolts began to dance around the wall becoming more abundant and powerful. They ripped across the wall surface and reached out for the two on the floor. Trish had to be patient.

The bolts then flashed together in a big ball in the hallway blocking off any kind of exit for the warden or Trish. They pulsated with power inside the ball and jumped with energy. When the ball blocked most of the visible hallway, a humanoid figure dropped out of the ball. It stood seemingly being made of flesh and bone. Its skin was a gray/purple color with a sledgehammer in hand. It was Darius back from the dead. Bolts of electricity surged from him and struck the sides of the hallway with sparks and fire. Darius stood with his sledgehammer in hand and caressed it like a lover. Lightning danced all over it as the it did the rest of his body. Jolting and surging like it was being super conducted through Darius's body

Trish held Sparda in front of her and said to herself, "My-my. What a fun job this has turned out to be!"


	6. Electric Boogaloo: 2

Sparda's blade stared down the killer made of electricity. Trish stood unafraid of the lightning killer. He slammed his hammer into the side of the wall and a surge of power jumped throughout the hallway. The bolts writhed about the small area as Darius spoke up. "Master Mundus; I have arisen to serve his purpose. I have become an all powerful immortal. Mighty is the power of Mundus, soon to be king of the demon world!"

Trish just rolled her eyes saying, "Yeah, you sound like the clichéd type he would pick. Look, I severed under Mundus too. Believe me, the bonus are great but he's got one crappy retirement plan."

"You lie!"

"Ask the master himself when you see him. Tell him Trish says, 'worst regards'!"

Suddenly, she swung down with Sparda nearly chopping Darius in half. He jumped back swinging out with his hammer. Blue lightning traveling towards Trish but she sliced it away easily. Retaliating with a zap of her own from her hand outstretched; the yellow energy traveling from Trish to Darius, knocking him down to one knee.

He stayed down for a bit as Trish came at him with her sword. Darius raised his hammer and blocked the blow from Sparda. He spun up to his feet quickly and slammed his hammer twice into the floor, each time missing Trish by mere inches. Blue lightning coming at her from the hammer like rabid animals.

She slashed away the energy and again attacked with her own. She again brought Darius to his one knee as he covered himself with his arms and turned into pure energy. The bolts of blue lightning charged into the ceiling and disappeared with a growling flicker.

Trish ran under the spot where the lightning had disappeared and looked upwards yelling out, "Want to race?" She looked around trying to find the path he had disappeared to. Her eyes scanning over the hallway looking for some evidence as to where he went.

The warden came over to her and asked, "This might be a stupid question but - um - do you know how he got all that alter stuff into his cell?"

Not even looking at him, Trish placed the Sparda back on her back and ripped her guns from her hips. She held Ombra and Lucie with purpose and walking away answered the warden, "Probably another inmate."

The warden was left dumbfounded as the medical team had arrived for the injured guards while Trish was walking away from the chaotic scene. The warden then asked, "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going? To introduce him to his master, personally!"

Leaving the warden pondering her answer, Trish made her way to the regular holding area. Prisoners were whistling and making lewd comments to her but she ignored them all. Her eyes and guns were tracking a slight surge in the ceiling. It would do no good to shoot at it since he was in an incorporeal state. She followed him right into a control room where he took physical form again. She ran in with guns blazing but he swung that sledgehammer at Trish and a literal shockwave shot out and threw her back nearly thirty feet.

She landed hard on the tiling floor as he looked at her with a prideful smile past his sledge. He turned his attention to the large control panel and saw two big, yellow levers that were marked: Master Cell Override 1 & 2.

He pulled both levers as the alarm sounded throughout the prison as every cell door was unlocked. He closed his eyes in ecstasy and looked back at Trish who was back up on her feet. He walked towards her and held out his arms in a theatrical show of power. "Try and follow me now, witch! The underworld's revolution has begun!"

Looking at her quarry pasts the sights of her guns, she asked, "What kind of lunatic bend are you on?"

"You still don't get it, do you? Master Mundus needs an army. I am giving him an army. Plenty of sinful souls for him to snatch. Once they're out in the open world, Mundus will suck them dry and influence them just as he has influenced me."

"No, you don't get it! This is not Mundus's will! He would never use a bunch of human killers for a war."

"Little you know of the great plan of Mundus to capture the very throne of the demon world!"

She shot nearly fifteen shots into Darius's chest bringing him to his knees. A black blood emptied out of his chest with small, blue bolts of energy surging on the blood like charged water.

Walking up to him, Trish shoved Ombra right into his temple saying coldly, "I had enough of his 'plans' along time ago. You are no more powerful then he allows. If a war is on the horizon in the demon world, I hope he's the first one to get ripped apart along with you!"

Suddenly, Darius wrapped his hammer around Trish's waist and held her close to him. He then let loose with a surge of electricity. She shook with pain and voltage as she was blown away from Darius and flew through the air right into an open cell. He then turned into an electric representation of himself and shot back into the ceiling traveling in the hidden power lines of the building.

Trish reached over slowly pushing herself up. She was hurting but still able to fight. Standing on her own two feet, she was ready for action - until she got a lead pipe in the back of her skull. She went back down to the ground rolling over to see who had hit her.

A maniacal man in prison wear jumped on top of her and began to strangle her with the pipe. She just grabbed the weapon and sent a surge of her energy through the metal rod. The prisoner was blown back into the wall as Trish got back up and took off following the electricity in the ceiling.

Rushing out of the cell, she saw more and more prisoners leaving their opened cages. She followed the small sparks of Darius's energy as some of the prisoner came at her. She kicked and punched them away easily.

Coming to a turn down the corridor, she spun into the next corridor punching three prisoners away from her with two of them carrying shives. She bounded over a makeshift guard rail where three guard were standing ready with tazers and gas grenades.

Looking up, she followed the sparks of energy down three flights of stairs as four prisoners held her up. They tried their best to have their way with her but she easily dispatched of them with a few throws and a kick to the last ones throat feeling it hard not to decapitate him with the kick.

She found herself in an old, metal corridor that seemed to be under construction to be cut off from the rest of the prison. The sparks traveled all the way down the metal corridor and went right through a dead end wall. Trish looked at the wall and it was a very weak metal. She kicked it and it shook at the very impact of her foot. She shook her head and took two slashes with the Sparda at the wall cutting a huge, gaping hole in the metal.

She stepped through into the darkness beyond and felt more metal on her feet. She looked around and saw nothing but black. Suddenly, she saw the sparks traveling through the ceiling again and followed not seeing where she was going. She held up her hand with her power flowing through it making a makeshift torch. She followed the sparks restlessly as now she could see a little bit.

The darkness enveloped her as she felt she had chased down the faint sparks for at least two minutes before the blue bolts jumped out of the ceiling and took on a humanoid form. It threw out its arms and took on flesh form. Lightning flowed from its arms and lit up the room they were standing in. Old cellar lights came on lighting up the room with a blue tint.

Trish looked around with Ombra and Luce in hand. They were both in an old power room. Seemingly built fifty years ago. She dared not to take her attention off of Darius though still keeping her attention locked on the convicted serial killer.

Darius's right hand was stretched out and a bolt of lightning raced through it making up his sledgehammer. He wrapped his fingers around the handle and held it in both hands. "This is the old power station for the prison. The prison use to run off the city's grid until it got its own later. The largest power grid in the city and there's still an old connection to it. More than enough power to energize the door."

"The door to what?" Trish asked. She felt she already knew though.

"The door to the demon world. Master Mundus may have his army but a commanding general needs to be on the field to command his troops."

"You can't open a door here. You need the right grounds and the right items."

"Little do you know. You just need to know where the door is and the right key. This prison when it was built was overseen by the first warden. A devil worshipper like me even though he prayed to a weaker demon lord he still sacrificed many innocents here and had the right power, he was killed before he could open the door."

"Mundus is the ruler of the demon world."

"Not yet but soon!" Darius grabbed a large switch and threw it down activating the electrical box it was attached to. Blue electricity flowed from him in large bolts as he connected himself to the city's power grid. The room got brighter and Trish saw the ground take on a liquid form. Black, charred spires began to thrust out of the water. The door was beginning to open. Most of the city blacked out as the grid's power was redirected to that one room, powering the door.

Trish grabbed the same handle holstering her two guns and let her own energy flow. The spires turned to ash and evaporated away. Darius, locked to the switch, turned his head towards Trish and yelled out, "What do you think you're doing?"

Trish smiled forcefully saying, "Redirecting the power into you and me."

"Will both be killed!"

"You! Not me."

"Stop! You'll make me explode!"

"You're not the first guy."

The two struggled on the switch as Darius tried to direct the massive current to the room while Trish tried her best to direct the current into them. Zapping the switch with enough energy to fry handle, shaking with power, the two looked at each other menacingly as they fought with the current getting bigger and bigger.

Darius suddenly had blue bolts blast out of his eyes as he dropped his hammer on the ground and it dissipated to nothingness. Dropping to his knees, he was blasted from the switch and collided into the opposite wall smashing into ash. His body impacted and it exploded into blue embers. Darius was gone forever.

Trish was suddenly thrown from the switch as well and landed just outside the room. Blue lightning flashed and jumped all around as she felt a strong quaking over take the old prison. She had done all she could. She ran from the room as it exploded with force. A large fireball flew out at her as she jumped through the metal wall she had cut the hole in. The fireball chasing her down as she ran back up the flight of stairs and the quaking didn't stop there. She ran right out of the prison as the entire lower level was lost to fire and a giant explosion.

Blowing her to the ground the explosion nearly collapsed the entire prison as many of the inmates were outside also lying on the ground from the blast. Trish got up slowly and saw a small fire bellowing out of the doorway. She looked up as smoke came from the fire and she could have sworn she saw to invisible spheres in the sky in a triangular formation. She heard a voice on the wind knowing the tone all too well. Hearing it before in her nightmares. "You have accomplished nothing here, Trish. I still speak to these lost souls. They serve me now."

She looked around and saw the inmates as they seemed to wonder around aimlessly. She saw one cross her path and said to her, "I hear a voice." He walked off and there was nothing Trish could say.

She had not stopped him from capturing an army. Even though she had stopped the door from being open, she had not stopped the recruitment of most of the prisoners.

Hoping the warden was alright, she nearly walked away when a hand grabbed her shoulder. Instinctively, she brought Lucie right to her shoulder shoving the gun's barrel right into a man's face. It was the wiry man she had seen before on death row. She smiled as she lowered the gun from his surprised face. She said, "You shouldn't sneak up on women like that."

"Especially you I take it!" He said lowering his hand from her shoulder. He then had to ask, "How did you know I was innocent?"

Trish spun Lucie back into its holster and said, "I can just tell. I know evil - I fight it everyday. Whatever crime you were convicted of, you didn't do it."

"I - thank you." Knowing she was right.

Trish turned to leave but he stopped her again, "What happened down there?"

Looking back, seeing the warden had made it out safely, she said to the wiry man, "speak to him." Pointing to the warden, "Tell him that you saved his life. Maybe that'll get you an appeal. I hope."

Trish went to leave again seeing Dante pull up on a motorcycle, she heard the wiry man's voice, "Derrick."

"What?"

"My name, its Derrick."

Trish just smiled and shook his hand, "Trish."

Derrick shook her had loosely upon hearing her name wondering if he should tell her. He decided not to tell her what he was convicted of, her name reminding him of that painful memory.

Trish turned towards Dante and got on the back of the bike as Derrick walked over to the warden. Dante turned his head towards Trish and asked, revving the bike, "Who was that?"

"Just a guy."

"You got a thing for guys in orange?"

"Shut-up and lets go!"

"Hey, I'm just asking. I think its nice you found a pet."

"I'd rather call you that."

Dante was about to take off when Trish stopped him. "What is it?" Dante asked.

"Mundus is back."

Dante breathed a sigh. "How?"

"I don't know Dante but I think he's bringing everything he's got this time. I think he's forming a human army to take us on. He knows we won't hurt humans."

"Shows him how much he knows about me."

"Something's wrong Dante. Something that was said."

"What?"

"That he's not the lord of the demon world. That there is some kind of war on. Mundus might not be the only one out there gunning for us."

Dante thought about that and then said, with a concerned look on his brow, "I need pizza."

Trish just smiled as Dante revved the bike and took off with her saying to him, "Me too!"


	7. Ballroom Blitz: 1

The long, black limousine pulled up to the estate. The darkness of night had consumed the world but you wouldn't have know it from all the lights on in the giant estate. Plenty of well-dressed people were joining the party inside. The valet in the driveway opened the door to the limo and out walked a tall man with white hair and his right arm in a fully covered cast with a black sling. He was wearing a forming tuxedo and gave the valet his invitation.

The valet looked at the invitation and said, "Welcome to the party mister - Nero?"

Nero looked at the valet and began to walk up the steps when the valet noticed his sword, "Uh, sir?"

Nero stopped and turned his head slightly towards the valet.

The valet said, "You do know this is not a masquerade but a charity ball, yes?"

"Of course. What do you think I'm donating?"

"Of course, sir. My apologies!"

"Try not to scratch the paint!" Referring to the limousine.

The valet went to park the limo but it took off quickly and raced out of sight. Surprised, the valet turned to ask Nero why it did but Nero was already inside the party.

He looked around as the last guests arrived and the huge doors to the estate closed, locking behind him. Nero heard the click of the lock and looked around. The ballroom was filled with dancing couples. Light classical music played around the dancing hall as two spiral staircases went to the second, third, and fourth floor. A large window brought in the moonlight into the party.

Pulling at his collar, Nero walked around the party members feeling confined in the suite. He went up to the bar and sat down on one of the stools. He didn't order anything, he just sat there. He looked around again as a caterer came up with some caviar. Nero popped one of the crackers in his mouth not knowing what it was and then spit it back out, "Good god, what was that?"

The maitre d' sneered at Nero and said, "Good sir, it 'was' the finest in Nova Scotia fish eggs!"

"Ugh - Jeez, what the hell are you trying to do here, poison these people?"

The waiter stormed off with the silver tray covered in Nero's spit up snack. He turned around still being able to taste the fish on his tongue and spit up some more. He had not noticed the lady that had come to sit down next to him. She had a glass full of white wine which Nero grabbed a hold of and said, "Thanks." He chugged it down trying to get the taste out of his mouth. He threw the glass and said, wiping his mouth, "Damn, you ever tried that stuff?" Pointing at the waiter.

The woman slightly gasped in delight at all of Nero's previous actions and said, "And here I thought I was dealing with a bunch of snobs tonight! Not you though." Moaning with ecstasy.

"Yeah well lady, I'm already taken."

"Ohhh, too bad. We could have had some fun too." She said, leaving Nero at the bar.

Not being able to help himself, he looked at her small butt wiggle away and made a head nodded. "Still doesn't mean I can't admire though."

The bartender then came up to Nero and had a phone on a platter plate. She asked, "Sir, are you Nero?"

Nero looked at her with a cocked eyebrow and said, "Why is every woman in this place after me? Her name is Kyrie!"

The female bartender looked around and said, "No. The phone, its for you."

Nero looked at the phone and said, "Oh." He picked up the receiver and spun it in his free hand. "Morrison, you do know I have a cell phone, right?"

"Yes, I know that. You and Vergil are the only ones smart enough to carry one. Lady use to and then…"

"Cut it Morrison, what do you want?"

"Have you found her yet?"

"I have already had two ladies hit on me and I've only been her for a few minutes. Oh and by the way, there's about two hundred women here! It could be anyone of them."

"Well, be careful Nero! Succubi are nothing to fool around with. You know Dante would kill me if anything happened to you and Vergil - well - I have enough trouble sleeping at night without imagining what that psychopath would do!"

"Morrison, don't worry, and just FYI, call my cell next time!" Nero hung up the phone on the platter and the lady bartender walked away.

Suddenly, the lights in the room went down and a man's voice circled the ballroom. Nero knew it wasn't anything supernatural either. It was from loud speakers. The man's voice said, "And now, ladies and gentleman, the moment you have all been waiting for. The main entertainment of the evening. I present to you, the woman of darkness, a lady that has been involved with accidents all her career, The Mistress of Death herself; Jenocidia!"

The large glass window blew out as a woman floated into the ballroom on wires. She was dressed in this black dress with fake bones covering her dress. Her face painted a deathly white and moving her head about like a snake with a large spotlight from outside on her. Not to mention her eyes. Her eyes were very snake-like as well. Yellow with black slits and almost looked like they had venom running through them.

Nero was close to unveiling his weapon but kept his calm. He saw quickly it was just a show but he was having a hard time wondering where the show began and the evil ended. He saw the commentator over in the corner and walked over to him while wading through the party goers.

He stopped near the steps where the man with the microphone was sitting. He sat down next to him as he saw his eyes transfixed on the woman suspended from the wires. He sat down next to him and asked, "So, who really is this woman?"

The commentator looked at him like he was on fire and said, "You don't know! She's only the most perfect lady on Earth! Jenocidia! When she sings, every man listens. It's said that some men can't take her angelic voice and die before they hear the end of the song. Happens every show. Some guy here is going to die!"

Nero looked around as all the men in the audience were fixated on her. He looked back up at Jenocidia and said to the man with the microphone, "You sure it's angelic?"

Jenocidia had no microphone. It was hidden in her attire. She then began to sing. Her voice began at a high octave and had no real emotion except sadness. Every man in the audience began to cry as even Nero got a tear in his eye but that was only because he was mostly immune to her voice. He could feel it too. She was casting some spell on all the men in the audience.

Her song then got a high pitch tone and it began to pick up as she began singing with actual lyrics. With feeling, emotion, passion, soul.

Nero noticed a slight white mist accumulating on all of the men's faces and he was the only one who saw it. The mist began to hover up to Jenocidia and she began to take it in from all the men. Nero now knew what was going on. She was eating their souls!

Standing up from the step, he ripped off his suit with his coat and regular clothes underneath. He threw the suite to the floor and aimed the Blue Rose right up at Jenocidia. He aimed right at her head and shot.

She reacted to the shot and finished her song cutting herself from the cables holding her up. Nero pushed through the onlookers as some of the men started to come out of it. He then heard her song again and this time she raised above everyone's heads without any cables. She had changed fast and furiously. She was now a singing, hundred foot serpent. Her hood extended like a cobra's with green scales running down her body. No longer did she have legs or arms. She had tentacles now with a giant tail behind her. Her head completely snake-like as she still sung her song and sucked in the ballroom's males' souls. All of them. The white mist seeping into her mouth.

Nero jumped in the air and aimed the Blue Rose right for her head. He shot and the two bullets blasted her right in the face. Nero landed on the ground with the hundred foot snake hissing at him and slamming one of her tentacles right for him. Pouncing backwards, Nero shot another set of bullets right at her and she hissed loudly at him blasting through one of the upstairs doorways.

The young devil hunter reacted fast and went after the snake lady with his hand on the hilt of the Red Queen. Beginning to charge up the sword with power and heat. He jumped to the top of the stairs and was about to go after the monster when one of the women on the steps stopped him and asked, mesmerized by his heroism, "Who are you?"

Nero just gave her a sly smile and said, "I'm the exterminator, lady!" He then charged into the hole made by the giant snake lady. The woman left mesmerized by Nero.

The ballroom was already collectively trying to escape but the doors were firmly locked. They tried to get out through the broken window but they couldn't climb high enough. They all stayed in the ballroom with about fifty or so couples leaving the rest of the group. Some of the men were already dead, their souls hopefully not consumed by the evil snake woman.

Upstairs, Nero was looking at a long, dark, and open hallway that had clear signs of Jenocidia's escape. Nero reached into his back pocket of his pants and flipped open his cell phone calling Morrison.

The voice on the other line was groggy and beat but it was Morrison alright. "What is it Nero, did you find that succubus yet?"

Nero walked as he talked, being on the lookout. "Oh yeah and let me tell you, she is one mother sucker!"

Morrison still a bit dazed and tired from all the research he did for the Devil May Cry agency said, "How many did she try to steal two - three?"

"Oh yeah, if by that you mean two - three hundred!"

Morrison was wide awake now. "What? Wait-a-minute, two or three hundred. You mean she tried to eat the entire ballroom?"

"Oh just the guys but yeah."

"Nero, are you sure you didn't drink anything at that party?"

Nero turned the corner and saw another hallway with more signs of her escape. "I am not making this up Morrison! Then she, after I interrupted her meal, she turned into a giant snake!"

Again, Morrison got that surprised tone to his voice. "A what? A snake?"

"Yeah, tail and all, with tentacles and fangs and the whole nine…"

"Nero, this is very important. Did she have any markings on her hood?"

"What, like a tattoo?" Nero asked, entering a dinning room with slime all over it. "Gross!" He walked through the sticky, gelatinous mess nearly slipping more then a couple of times.

"Yeah! Like a symbol burned in the front of her hood."

"I don't know Morrison, she didn't seem to be in the mood to tell me her sign."

"Okay Nero, just get back here, on the double!"

"Back where?"

"Devil May Cry."

"What? I can handle anaconda lady." Nero said, opening a door into another connected room to the dinning hall.

"No you can't! You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you? Because, let me tell you Nero, if you did - you would let me get Dante and Vergil down there!"

This room seemed to be a study of some sort. There was more of that slime and six dead bodies. Three women and three men. Nero just shuttered a bit at the corpses seeing that they had had their souls taken. "Well Morrison, you're right about one thing - its definitely not a succubus."

"What, why?"

"I just found six people here. Men and women. All of them look like they were soul sucked."

"Damn it Nero, get yourself out of there!"

"Why Morrison, you tell me what I'm up against and then I might think about leaving."

"I highly doubt it!"

"Why, not that scary?"

"Fine! You want to know what you're up against? You're going against a damn naga! Snake demons that have the power to shape shift into anything they want. Most of the time - humans. You can usually spot them though by their eyes. They have snake-like eyes no matter what form they're hiding in. These things were worshipped as demi-gods thousands of years ago and for a damn good reason. They're very powerful demons and can do anything their masters tell them to do."

"Who's their master?"

"That's the thing! They're like mercenaries of Hell. They don't belong to any one region of the underworld. I guess you could say they belong to Hell itself! They really don't do anything unless a demon lord or a powerful summoner tells them to do something. Waiting in the pit until they're called upon for a job."

Nero walked out of the study and outside into a massive courtyard. He was on a ledge looking down and didn't see anything. Even with all the lamps in the courtyard, nothing was there. "So these naga, they have a weakness?"

"Not a one."

"Oh no, looks like I'm in trouble." Nero said nonchalantly, as the lights from the lamps in the courtyard all went out simultaneously. He heard a low tone hiss and saw a big black shadow moving his way and fast.

"Nero? Nero!" Morrison yelled out.

The naga's head came to stair right at Nero's body and Nero just hung up on Morrison saying, "Got to go Morrison, I got a date with a snake."


	8. Ballroom Blitz: 2

Returning his cell phone to his pocket, Nero listened to the naga hiss at him with its maw opened wide. The large fangs of the soul stealing snake looking like pure white spears.

He removed the Red Queen and she was fully charged. The big blade on the sword glowing a bright red with hints of purple because the blade was so hot. He swung the sword back and took a swing for the naga's head. The flaming blade thirsty for death as it let out a burst of flame. Swinging hard and determined to decapitate the large demon, Nero's sword missed the neck of the snake by mere inches.

Taking another swing with the red hot blade, Nero again missed the naga. The blade of the sword again letting out a burst of flame like a small explosion in the night. Reeling back with a hiss, the naga charged its mouth and head right into the estate's brickwork after Nero. Nero rolled out of the way of the charging demon as its head went right through the structure with its head being buried in stone and brickwork. At least a ton of structure fell on the naga's head burying it in rubble.

Nero stood up from his rolling dodge and put his sword on his shoulders, confidently looking at the wriggling body of the massive cobra. "Like a worm on a hook."

The naga blasted out of the rubble and swiveled its head right at Nero on the ledge. It shook some of the debris from its head as if nothing had happen. The fallen rubble probably effected it as much as fallen marshmallows would have. Nero just said to himself, "Or not."

It came at him fangs bared and mouth wide open. Nero ran away from the snake as it slammed into the ledge and followed the young demon slayer with vigor and venom. It raised it head a bit higher then the ledge having its body rip the ledge apart after the sword wielding, gun totting, devil assassin.

Nero rounded the estate as the naga ripped up the path after him. He jumped through a window into a bedroom. He rolled on the nice, plush carpet as the naga followed him right in with a hiss as it took out the frame and most of the surrounding construction of the room. Nero swung his sword at the naga trying to hit and he got a slice off but all it did was whip some blood out of its body making a large gash in the side of the demon's face but it healed instantaneously. Nero had never seen that kind of resiliency to the Red Queen.

All the while, a couple were in bed in the bedroom and the naked lady had the covers up over her body, screaming at the two fighters. A man was also in bed with her and he was just as scared as the woman.

Nero ripped the Blue Rose from its holster and took a shot blasting the naga in the face. The naga was observably effected but had already caught sight of the two in bed and focused in on the guy. Nero looked over at the couple and then back at the naga. That sweet voice coming from the snake's mouth as the mist-like substance began to form around the two in bed. A saliva-like substance began to drool out of the naga's mouth and began to accumulate on the ground. Making a mess practically of the entire bedroom. Nero took a couple more glances at the two and the snake and said with hate in his voice, "Oh no! Dinner's canceled!"

Nero held his gun in his left hand and looked at his right. He stretched his fingers on the Devil Bringer as it blasted the cast right off. Launching right at the snake's mouth shutting her trap. That mist suddenly dissipated from the couple as the snake had been silenced. Nero looked at the two as he struggled with the snake's mouth to keep it shut. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Start running!"

The two ran out of the room with the sheets of the bed with them.

Jerking and jutting with the Devil Bringer firmly wrapped around its mouth, the naga struggled to free herself. Nero let his grip slip as the Naga came out of the destroyed window frame and shook as if it was shaking off more rubble. It then came at Nero but Nero just uppercut the snake right back out of the second story window and it fell backwards slamming into more of the estate on the opposite side of the courtyard.

Nero jumped through the window and down into the courtyard and started walking towards her. He had holstered the Blue Rose and was walking with the Devil Bringer glowing brightly. He said to the naga as it began to come back up, "So, you going to tell me who you're working for do I have to rip your tail apart to find out?"

The naga looked down on him and said, in that almost angelic sounding voice, "Look at my hood boy, know the symbol well!"

Nero saw a burnt image in her hood. It appeared to be a down turned C with six wavy lines inside of the C. Nero knew he had seen the symbol before but he didn't know from where. Not impressed by the infernal tattoo, he said, "And why should I know that from anywhere?"

She closed her hood back up in fury and said to Nero, "Because it is the symbol of the new ruler of the underworld. There is a war coming boy and the prize is nothing short of the crown of Hell itself! Take a wild guess where that war is going to be fought?"

"I don't really care. Because you won't live to see it!" Nero said as he grabbed a hold of the naga's tail with the Devil Bringer. He then picked up the whole hundred foot snake and whipped her around like a lasso above his head. He swung her around and around until he threw her into a stone wall propelling her away from the estate and the courtyard.

She was barely moving as Nero began to walk in her direction. His brown boots mashing the dark green grass of the late night. He ripped the Red Queen from off of his back and began to rev the sword.

The naga was back up and hissed at Nero as she charged right for him. Nero jumped high in the air and swung his sword landing a shot in on the top of her hood. He landed on his feet and the naga whipped around with fury in her eyes. She lashed out with one of her tentacles on the side of her body and it wrapped around the blade of Nero's sword. She pulled and strained to get the weapon out of his hand but he still held on. He didn't know for how much longer though.

She hissed at him, "You're human blood makes you weak!"

Nero let go of his sword on purpose and with lightning fast reflexes, grabbed a hold of it with the Devil Bringer. He then launched the Red Queen, with it in the possession of his right arm, towards the naga. The Devil Bringer and the Red Queen became one as both hit the naga directly in the mouth with the sword going down her throat and the giant arm of Nero's traveling down with it. The snake demon choked and gagged on the two forces as the Red Queen came out of the back of the naga's head and then cut outwards and upwards, slashing the reptile's head in half.

Black blood sprayed like a sprinkler everywhere as the naga fell to the ground dead. A pool of its own blood accumulated under its dead body and it slowly sank down into it leaving nothing but the pool and even that disappeared with time.

Nero brought back the Devil Bringer and sheathed his sword. He looked around and looked back at the estate as most of the courtyard was a shambles. He even saw a few of the party goers come out take a look at what he had done now being freed from the locked mansion. They were looking around like newborns.

Focusing in on one who wasn't though, Nero began to head towards him. He was wearing a black trench coat with two swords on his back. Both looking like samurai swords. This man had a dark goatee with dark shades. Looking somewhat like a black coated version of Dante. Slick-backed, black hair with a style all his own. Nero was indeed curious but the man disappeared before he could get in real close.

He called up Morrison on his cell and said, "And you said I needed help."

It wasn't Morrison who answered though, It was Lady, "I never said anything of the sort."

"Oh, sorry Lady. Put Morrison on, would ya?"

"He's a bit tied up hon, but maybe I can help."

"Well maybe? You know of a symbol with a down turned C with a bunch of wavy lines."

There was a brief pause. "Nope. Can say as I do. Why?"

"No reason. Morrison will probably flip out though when he learns what I just did."

"And what is that?"

"I took down a naga."

"A naga?"

"Why is everybody so surprised when I say that? Nothing I couldn't handle."

"That symbol earlier, was that the one it had on its hood?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Naga's usually don't do anything unless commanded by a demon king of some sort. Nero you'd better get back to headquarters. There's something that you need to hear."

"I'm on my way."

He closed up his cell phone and was heading back to the front of the estate where that limousine was waiting for him.


	9. Camp Gallery Lake: 1

Vergil moaned with frustration as he walked off the bus. The midday sun in his eyes and the heat of the southern United States making his coat and clothes feel a bit stuffy. His hands felt clammy as he held onto Yamato saying to himself, "No, I don't get the fancy limo with air-conditioning. I get a bus full of riotous children!"

At least thirty some kids flooded out of the bus behind him with a young girl in her mid twenties stepping off with them. She looked at Vergil saying, "You know, you didn't have to stay in the back the whole time?" She asked cheerfully.

Turning to look at her, Vergil was reminded of a squirrel. Her face and body were well built with her bust nearly not fitting in her small shirt but her chipper attitude was annoying. She had told Vergil her name was Jocelyn. She said her parents named her that because it sound like gosling which is a baby goose. Her attitude had hit its peak of annoying when she had had the kids sing Row-Row Your Boat for nearly half-an-hour straight. Morrison was dead meat.

He finally answered Jocelyn's question, "Oh yes. Yes I did."

She put her hands on her hips saying, "You know, the kids really appreciate you being here. They think that sword of yours is so cool. I don't think its nice to bring along a weapon but…"

He held up his sword still sheathed saying, "I go nowhere without it! These little brats need protection, then I suggest you show this weapon some damn respect! Besides, what would you do to protect them - throw pompoms at a demon? On second hand, I would like to see the aftermath of such a discrepancy."

She walked away from Vergil with that same silly smile on her face. Vergil couldn't help but look at her admiring her "assets". He then shook his head and walked over to the back of the bus and called Morrison from his phone.

Morrison answered, "Vergil, I really don't have time to…"

"Make time."

"Yes Vergil." Morrison said a little weary of Dante's brother.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Vergil, it couldn't have been that bad?"

"I'm going to kill you slow."

"They are aware of an evil presence at the camp. This is why they hired us. They had to know you were one of the 'good' guys. You couldn't have just shown up there, they would have hid in fear of you."

"Good. They would have stayed out of my way."

"You don't even know what's down there yet!"

"I have a good idea its not something that likes kids. Like me."

"I'll make it up to you."

"This should be good."

"I don't know how yet but I'll think of something."

"Oh no you won't." Vergil said slyly, "I will." He closed his cell phone walking away from the back of the bus.

In front of him was a dirt path leading to four separate cabins. A sign not two feet from him gently blew in the breeze of the afternoon. The sign reading in big bold letters: CAMP GALLERY LAKE

Vergil groaned at the camp's name as he saw at least ten kids playing with each other. Approaching one of the farthest cabins, Vergil was stopped by a small girl with a colorful ball. She smiled at him and in a sweet voice asked, "Hi. Want to play?"

Grinding his teeth, struggling not to unleash his Devil Trigger right there, Vergil calmly answered, "No. Run along now!"

She bounced the ball in front of him with a sad look on her face saying disappointedly, "Oh okay." She ran off to go play with the other children.

Vergil took a couple more steps when suddenly a small boy came rolling out of a bush with combat fatigues and a red bandana around his forehead. He made a, "Ain-hain-ain-hain!" sound with a small toy Uzi in hand. He stood up with a big smile with his upper teeth overshadowing his bottom lip saying in a calm and skeptical tone, "I got you, huh?"

The grip on Yamato got tighter as Vergil looked at the boy with a calm anger. "I don't think so."

The boy, not even looking at Vergil but his toy gun, asked, "You didn't even see me roll out of that bush, huh?" His teeth still overlapping his bottom lip. His smile somewhat diminishing.

Holding his sword up to his face, Vergil answered the boy's rhetorical question, "I see everything."

Picking at a few bits of plastic on the toy gun, the boy said, "Oh. So are you here to find out what happen to the other kids?"

Lowering Yamato, Vergil asked, "Yes I am. Do you know anything about it?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders still messing around with his toy gun not having once made eye contact with Vergil. "The consolers could tell you more then I could." He quickly looked at Vergil's sword asking, "Can I have a look at it?"

Seeing the boy eyeing his sword, Vergil pulled it behind his back saying, "Sorry. I only pull out my sword when its needed."

Breaking his eyes from Vergil, he began messing around with the toy gun again saying, "They took them."

"Who took them? Who's them?"

The boy quickly ran off and Vergil kept looking at the boy menacingly. Shifting his focus back to the far side cabin he began to walk in that direction once again.

Before entering the large cabin he was stopped by a male counselor who looked like he had had one too many protein shakes. Putting his hands on hips, the counselor commanded, "Excuse me, you are not allowed in there!"

Vergil's eyes glanced at the man who was nearly a foot taller than him. With Yamato still behind his back, he spun low to the ground and took out the man's leg from underneath. The counselor went down to the ground hard and Vergil placed his sheathed sword on his neck. "I think I am more then allowed."

"Stop! What are you doing?" Hearing Jocelyn's voice, Vergil eased off the male counselor and held Yamato at his side. She still reminded him of a squirrel only now one that was running towards a wolf. She ran up to the two shouting, reaching the guy on the ground helping him back up. She brushed him off as he stood up with her asking frantically of Vergil, "What was that? He's not the one hurting these kids! He's a good guy."

Standing cold and calculating, Vergil replied, "I'm not."

Jocelyn looked at the man helping him away from Vergil. Watching him walk out of sight, Vergil saw that he was still a little shaken at what had happen.

She turned to face Vergil, "You just can't go around attacking counselors! What's wrong with you? You know the kids saw that? I can't have you hurting people in front of them! That is not what they're here for! They're here for…"

"Would you rather them die?" Vergil asked coldly.

"Heavens no! What kind of awful…"

"Then I suggest you let me operate with impunity."

She looked down not knowing what the word impunity meant. She was going to ask when Vergil slammed open the locked cabin. Weakly, Jocelyn stepped inside and looked at the empty bunk beds. There were two rows of five sets of beds.

Memories of the missing kids flood her mind as she walked past Vergil, staring the story as to why they hired this madman in blue. "At first, it was just one kid! Snatched out of his bunk in the middle of the night." She walked past the bunks as she went on. "We knew it wasn't any of the counselors or any of the other kids. We searched for him the whole night when another kid had gone. We looked for her in the morning but came up with nothing. That night we heard screams from this cabin and found two more missing. We searched but we came up with nothing again.

Since all the kids had disappeared from this cabin, Amy decided to watch them the whole night. Amy was a counselor here before that night. That was when we found another girl missing and Amy - oh god Amy! Her throat…" Jocelyn stopped herself picking back up after some quiet sobbing. "Five kids gone!"

A stair of stone from Vergil. He then asked, "What make you think this is worth my attention?"

Coming back around she looked down at the wooden floor and so did Vergil. A water stain the size of a table was on the floor. Kneeling down, Vergil looked at the water mark dragging his fingers across it. Looking up, he saw more marks all over the floor. Examining the stain on his glove and all over the floor there was definitely the presence of evil.

Jocelyn said to him, "It was here every night we found the kids missing; water all over the floor. We tried to mop it up, we tried cleaning it over and over but the stains won't come out."

Standing back up, looking all around the cabin, Vergil treaded across the cabin's interior saying to Jocelyn, "You can't wash away evil." His eyes scanning the walls, roof, and floor. He came by one bunk bed that had a water stain on the wall. Taking a step to investigate, his grip on his sword got tighter. Running his glove across the stain, looking at it curiously. The stain looking like a human hand. Having somewhat of an idea of what had been in the cabin he looked back at her asking "Has anybody strange - besides me - been in the local vicinity?"

She looked at him puzzled, "No. There's been - oh wait a minute!" She said now remembering, "There was somebody four days ago. They were looking for a kid of ours."

"Who was it?" Vergil asked, taking a step towards her.

"I don't know! He had on a black trench coat with two swords on his back. Looked a lot like yours actually."

"Which kid?"

"He's not here. He said he wanted to spend this time at home rather than camp. We told him it was fine."

"Did you give this sword-wielding guy an address, a name, anything?"

"Of course not! He seemed very friendly though."

"I'm sure he did."

"Why? Do you know who he was?"

Vergil's stone blue eyes jeered at Jocelyn, "No, I don't. That's what makes me nervous."

He walked out of the cabin without a second glance followed by Jocelyn. She hurried to catch up with him walking away from the camp grounds towards Gallery Lake. Jocelyn decided to ask, while still walking fast to keep up with Vergil's hurried gate, "You don't think this guy had anything to do with the kids disappearances, do you?"

Vergil's eyes were locked in front of him like a machine as he walked with purpose, "I hate to tell you this but if it is what I think it is, then they're no longer missing."

"You know where they are?" Jocelyn asked happily.

Stopping in his tracks, Vergil pivoted his head to one side telling Jocelyn, "No. I know what happen to them and you aren't going to like it."

"Well then, tell me!"

"Not yet, not till I'm sure." He began walking again.

They both reached the edge of Gallery Lake. It was surround by huge trees and was proceeded by a small swamp. The lake was vast and went out as far as the eye could see. Vergil gazed on it looking for signs of an evil presence. He saw more than enough asking, "How long has it been like this?"

Jocelyn was a little dumbfounded by the question. "What do you mean?"

Vergil took in a large breath of air. He smelled the evil. "Vacant?"

"There's no one who lives out here."

Again, Vergil took in a long exhale. This time though out of pure frustration, "No, I mean how long has the lake not had wildlife?"

A cold shiver went down Jocelyn's spine. "Never! I've never really thought about until now but I've been a counselor here since I was eighteen! It has never had any animals on it!"

Taking out his cell phone he began to call Morrison.

"Who are you calling?" Jocelyn asked.

"You need to get back to the kids, they can strike in daylight too."

"What? Who are you calling?"

"Get back with the rugrats now!" Vergil nearly screaming at her.

Jocelyn walked away a little hurt and shaken. She slowly stumbled away from Vergil as he phoned Morrison.

The voice on the other side of his cell was not Morrison's. It was Dante. "What's up bro?"

Growling a bit under his breath, Vergil asked, "Put Morrison on the line Dante."

"He's not here but I can take a message."

"When will he be back?"

"As long as it takes to bring back ten pizzas without cash in his pocket."

Nearly crush his cell phone in rage, "You and your damn pizzas!" Vergil calmed down asking, "Do you have his laptop there?"

Dante started searching, "Actually - its - not - with - oh right here."

Trying hard not to grind his teeth together, Vergil instructed Dante, "Find out what you can in his files about razpoles."

"Razpoles eh? That sounds - interesting."

"Just search the damn files!"

"Chill." After about forty seconds of silence Dante began, "Here we go, razpoles. Mean suckers. Extremely low on the underworld's food chain but mean nonetheless. Seems like they live near water sources or wet caves - wet caves -" Laughing a bit at the expression.

Vergil was less than thrilled. He already knew all of this as Dante went on, "There is always a nest and in the nest lies the brood mother. She can lay up to two hundred eggs but not near that many are going to survive."

"They need blood to incubate in, don't they?"

Dante's voice got real serious as he answered, "Yeah, virgin blood. Looks like their eggs are used in ritualistic rites involving virgin blood. That or…"

Vergil finished for him, "That or the brood mother incubates a few on her own and then sends out her children to go searching for incubators for her eggs."

Dante's voice was dark and full of hate towards these demons, "Yeah."

"What else?" Vergil asked.

"They seem to prefer the dark of night but attracted to light when it's dark. They can also attack during daylight too but not as many and nowhere near as often. Nothing much after that except that they go into hibernation until they're woken up again."

"By what?"

"By another source of evil. Doesn't matter what. If its evil, they're up and they're going after more virgins at night."

"When Morrison gets back, tell him to look up the history on a place called Gallery Lake."

"Wait, do you…"

Vergil had already closed his phone by that time and was walking back to the camp. He had a fight on the way.


	10. Camp Gallery Lake: 2

Making it back to the campgrounds, Vergil saw Jocelyn playing around with some of the kids. Her body flowing so magnificently. He thought too himself it was too bad she was such a wet nurse.

He went up to her as she caught a colorful ball from a small brunette girl. She went to run with it when she nearly plowed right into Vergil. He was standing still and was no more then two inches from her. She looked at him as she stood up. He knocked the ball out of her hands with it bouncing away. Watching it bounce away, she yelled at him, "Hey!"

Grabbing her by the arm, he said, "We need to talk." Dragging her into the cabin where the kids had disappeared he let go of her as she rubbed her wrist in pain, Vergil demanded, "You need to get all these kids out of here now!"

"Even if I wanted to I couldn't. The bus isn't going to be back until tomorrow and there are no bikes, cars, or any kind of vehicles around. We don't even have go-carts."

Looking down at the floor in dismay, Vergil said, "Then you need to keep the kids safe."

Nearly stomping her foot on the floor, Jocelyn went into a tangent, "I always do! I thought even by hiring you that would keep them safe. I'm starting to wonder if…"

"I'm here already. Nothing you can do about that but what you can do is keep these kids safe. Watch out for anything weird, especially near that lake."

"Did you find out what happen to the other kids?"

Vergil didn't want to tell her, "Yes I did."

Staring at him for a reply for nearly two minutes, Jocelyn asked, "And?"

Saying it mournfully and sincerely, "They're not coming back Jocelyn."

"What - What do you mean?" The tremor in her voice a prelude to an overwhelming sadness.

Vergil had a tough time saying it, "They're not coming back. They were taken for their blood."

"What do you mean? Their blood? What - that doesn't make any sense! There are no hospitals around here!"

Vergil wanted to be angry at her naiveté but he couldn't. "Go back outside and bring the kids in here when you put them to bed. I'll be watching them tonight."

"Do you really think that's going to help anything?"

"I guarantee it. You will not lose another kid."

Jocelyn went back outside as Vergil stayed in the empty cabin. He waited for nightfall and was on the floor, sitting, waiting for the kids to go to bed. It was a long wait with hours passing as still not one little camper had entered the cabin. He got up for a minute.

Something was wrong. He walked outside feeling the cool air of night hit him. Taking a couple of steps outside, looking up at the darkness of night, the kids should have been back by now. Hearing a noise far off in the distance he couldn't quite make out what it was but it sound a bit like laughter. A thousand thoughts raced through Vergil's head as he began heading towards the lake. His original idea had been to wait for the razpoles to come to the kids but now he had a bad feeling he was going to have to go to them.

Making it to the small swamp he saw bright lights coming from the lake area and heard the loud sounds of laughter and other strange noises mixed in. Going around the swamp, making his way towards the lake, the lights and sounds became more bright and loud as he got closer to the lake's edge.

Soon, he was engulfed in the sights and sounds of what seemed to be a small fair. The kids from the camp along with other kids he didn't recognize were all running around, playing games with each other, and having very loud fun. Close to a hundred kids with some of them actually swimming in Gallery Lake.

Vergil stampeded through the merriment and found Jocelyn encouraging the fun. Grabbing her shoulder, spinning her around, pointing to all of the kids in a barely contained rage, "What's all this?"

Jocelyn looked at him like a confused animal. "it's the Gallery Lake Spot Pont. There's more than just are little campgrounds. There's plenty of kids around in this area. I thought the kids could go considering all that's happened. They need this after everything. They need to be out playing until…"

"You need to get every kid out of here! I told you to keep the children away from the lake! You want to keep these kids safe, take every last one of these - degenerates and get them out of here!" Vergil's eyes glancing at the lake, "And get those children out of the water right now!"

The bigger, male counselor from earlier came up behind Jocelyn saying, "Whoa there! They're fine. Nothing's going to happen to them as long as I'm here."

In a flash, Vergil tripped the counselor with his sheathed sword and kicked him right into the lake. Not once taking his eyes off Jocelyn finding it all too easy to take the big man down. He heard from the big man, "Help! I - I - I can't swim!"

Sneering at the man, Vergil said, "You're not even in the deep end!"

Having this enraged glair at Vergil, she went to slap him but he quickly grabbed her by the wrist saying, "Get them out of here now! Party's over!"

One small girl was floating in a rubber inter-tube shaped to look like a duck watching the two argue on shore. She felt something brush by her foot but she shrugged it off. Having swam in the lake before it was probably just a fish. Then she felt a tug on her foot like a human hand only it was slimy and a bit alien to her. Then a harder tug, then she was dragged completely under the water and was not seen again.

One of the boys swimming near her saw it and started yelling for her, "Camry? Camry, where are you? Come on, cut it out. Camry!" Feeling a tug on his foot he was suddenly dragged under the water and didn't come back up for air.

Vergil slowly looked over to where the two kids had submerged and said to himself as Jocelyn was still looking at him mad and confused, "So it starts." Changing to a high tone roar, "All kids out of the lake right now!"

The kids started to slowly come back to shore while Jocelyn was looking at them, "This is ridiculous! There is nothing out…"

Before she could finish, a large, black, humanoid figure exploded out of the water and enveloped one of the kids dragging them down under the water without a trace.

In overwhelming, debilitating horror, Jocelyn dropped to her knees overcome by fear. She was paralyzed in terror.

All the kids now were rushing out of the water as three more dark figures emerged from the water slowly coming after them. The big camp counselor tried to make it back to shore but his throat was ripped from his neck as he was killed close to the shore line, just not quite making it.

Scanning the water, Vergil saw at least ten more shadows emerge from the dark water. The lake having a black tar visage in the blackness of night and these razpoles came out like humanoids from the deep. More and more appearing as the kids ran for cover. Hiding behind trees, dodging for bushes that weren't there, forgetting their clothes as they ran around in there swimming wear. Even the kids on land began to run away. Not one kid was running in one particular direction as the razpoles were coming up onto land.

The lights of the small party made them all too visible. Their heads were garnished with vertical stripping fins. Their eyes were on the sides of their heads, big and fish-like, moving opposite from each other like a gecko's. Teeth inside their mouths that were serrated and jagged, crossing over each other. Their bodies were muscular and humanoid with two arms and two legs, moving a little hutched over and slowly. Webbing flexing between their toes and their hands with claws on both feet and hands as long as kitchen knives and twice as sharp. Scales covering it all; a swampy green in color with a small tail in the back that also extended out with webbing on it. The sounds they made as they went after the kids sounded like a warbled record scratch. Seemingly vomiting up the sound with vigor from their mouths.

Jocelyn was still on the ground, on her knees in pure shock. Vergil tried his best to get her up but she wasn't budging as the kids ran around in terror all their own. Vergil watched a few of them cross right in front of him and the approaching razpoles. He grabbed one of them by the shoulder and said, "If your going to run around, run back to the camp!"

The kid looked at him like a deer in headlights. "I'm just here from another camp."

"Another camp?" Vergil wondered. "How did you get here?"

"We walked here with our counselors. They went back to the camp when she and the other guy said they had it under control."

Vergil looked down at Jocelyn as she was still on the ground. He wanted to be angry with her but he would do that later.

"What's your name?"

"Tom…"

One of the razpoles had grabbed the small boy by the shoulders and was dragging him away from Vergil. Vergil hit the razpole in the back of the head with his sheathed sword and knocked away two more as he saw another dragging a small girl back to the water. Reacting fast, he flew over to the monster slamming his sword down on the arm of the creature knocking it back into the water with a gliding blow from Yamato. Another razpole tried to grab her but in a quick session of five blows from Vergil, the monster was down and out.

He picked her up and walked her harshly over to Jocelyn where the boy known only as Tom was whimpering. He shook the girl in front of Jocelyn saying, "You see this! Your responsible for this! Now get these kids to safety or you're going to have something a lot more dangerous to worry about then these razpoles!"

Jocelyn looked at him in fear, "What could be more dangerous?"

Vergil grabbed the well-endowed counselor by the throat hauling her off the ground, looking deep into her eyes, piercing a hole right through her soul, "Me!"

She ran off in fear from Vergil like a frightened mouse and all the kids followed right behind her. Vergil looked at Tom saying, "Follow her, she'll lead you to safety and try to keep up. She's going pretty fast."

Launching himself away from the madman in blue, Tom ran away along with many of the other children from Vergil and the razpoles. Most of them following Jocelyn as she ran from the demons. There were a few kids left but Vergil was sure of himself he could protect them.

One kid was running from a razpole as Vergil watched in cocky silence. She tripped and the razpole was on top of her when Vergil wrapped his hand around Yamato's hilt, flicked his thumb removing the blade from the sheath, and then launched the protective case off the blade right at the monster sending it careening into the temple of the demon. The razpole landed hard on the ground killed by the hard impact of the blue sheath. Yamato had been set free.

Four descended on Vergil as he tore through them like papier-mâché. All four of them, in less than five quick twists of Vergil's wrist, were dead on the ground. One small boy was surround by two razpoles as Vergil slowly walked over to where the child was cornered and slashed at the air sending two air slices their way. The two demons were sent to the ground in a bloody mess as Vergil didn't even have to touch them with Yamato to be deadly.

The child got up as one monster pulled him up by his shoulders. The boy screamed as his head was shoved into the monster's mouth but before the demon could bite off the child's head, Vergil; with just a flick of his wrist and a slight wave of his arm, cut the beast's head right off. The kid dropped to the ground safely.

Brown boots staring the kid down as Vergil hissed at the kid, "Leave."

The kid nodded slowly in agreement. He edged his way up off the ground and ran for his life.

Catching sight of another small boy, Vergil began heading towards him. He was actually trying to fend off a razpole from a small girl. It was the boy from earlier who had jumped out of the bush with a toy gun. He still had it and was making that gun sound again. Throwing his toy gun at the creature he ran at it to punch it away from the scared little girl. It just tossed him to the ground next to her and made this loud, screeching roar. Raising its clawed hand, it was ready to at least incapacitate the two.

Yamato charged through the demon's chest piercing it heart. A black fluid spurted from the dead creature as Vergil tore his sword from the thing's chest with the greatest of ease. The demon fell to the ground and Vergil recognized the kid instantly saying to him, "Leave this to the professionals."

The boy couldn't help but be in a splendid awe barely being able to say, "Wow! I guess its really need now, huh?"

Two more came at Vergil from behind but he spun around cutting the two down faster then either child could see. The kids got up and ran away. Vergil made sure they were gone when he spotted at least eight razpoles heading his direction.

A half-cocked smile crossed his face as he went at them headlong. Slicing and chopping at them, coming out behind them with just a slight spot of blood on his face. He wiped it away as all eight monsters fell to the ground dead from Vergil's proficiency.

Hearing a scream, Vergil ran to the lake's edge where a girl was being dragged under. The razpoles seemed to be in retreat. Rushing over to her he sliced off the demon's hands as it let out its warbled roar bursting from the water. Taking a snap slice at its neck, Vergil picked up the girl and walked her carefully away from the water's edge as the monster's head flipped open, hanging to its body by a little piece of its neck flesh. Blood spurting from the gapping severed neck as it tried to stop it with its missing hands. It fell into the water dead before it made a splash.

Vergil put down the little girl, bending over as he did saying, "I think that's the last of them."

The girl had a smile on her face when she let out this terrified gasp. Not even looking, Vergil thrust Yamato behind him and then stood up with an upper slash. He watched in stone silence as the razpole behind him split open dropping to the ground in two pieces.

The girl stood silent too but not for the same reason.

He went over to one of the first razpole he killed and picked up his blue sheath. He slid Yamato down along the casing and then into it sheathing back up his deadly sword. He walked away when the girl came up to him asking, "What are you doing?"

"I have to find their lair. You wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?"

"I always heard weird stories about that small boat restaurant that was closed down along time ago." She pointed out past the visible horizon of the lake, "Its at the very other end of Gallery Lake."

"Run along child. This no place for children." Vergil said, walking off.

"You got that right!" The little girl said as she ran off trying to find her way back to camp in the dark. She followed the way the scared woman counselor had gone.

Meanwhile, Vergil followed the shoreline until he found an old wreck of a ship at the very end of the lake. He shook his head in disbelief. A themed restaurant right on the lake. He could sense the tremendous amounts of evil coming from the place. This was their lair, no doubt about it. Inside lied the brood mother. Hopefully she was a bit more of a challenge than her children.


	11. Camp Gallery Lake: 3

Vergil found it easier to enter than most people. When inside, his cell phone began to go off. He was in an awkward position just going through the front door when it rang. The ship was a bit sideways so when he entered, he had to concentrate to keep his footing.

Barely having time to survey his surroundings, Vergil answered his cell. It was Morrison. "I think I have some apologizing to do."

Vergil stood in the wreck of a ship as he spied dining tables made out of old, wooden ship wheels. They were just replications however and hadn't come off of real ships. "Yes you do."

"Not just for sticking you with a bunch of kids either. I should have reviewed Gallery Lake's history. I had no idea."

In the back was the counter with a few out-of-date registers that Vergil began to approach. Jumping over the counter he entered the back kitchen saying to Morrison, "Spill it old man."

"Gallery Lake has had history ever since the 17th century! Probably longer than that. The first child abductions happen in the late 1600's."

"So, this hag's been busy for awhile. It doesn't make sense. How could she be awake back then if there was no demons around?" Vergil asked, spying a wooden cellar door near the freezer.

"It doesn't have to be demons to wake these things up Vergil. It can be any kind of evil. Man or demon, it doesn't matter to them. Evil is evil and evil leaves a presence on whatever it touches. This is how they are awakened. When they're awake, they're on the hunt for virgin blood."

Vergil had entered a small cellar surrounded by wooden walls with another big freezer in the back. Both freezers, above and below, seemed to be from the 1940's. "About this restaurant I'm in?"

Hearing Morrison hit some keys on his laptop, "Yeah, the - uh - Gallery Lake Resort. First established in 1927, shutdown in 1946."

Opening the freezer, Vergil looked in and saw a few large, meat hooks hanging off the ceiling. He could sense evil in the freezer. He could sense it throughout the entire restaurant but here especially. In the back was a wall but there was something strange about it. Vergil began to feel around the wall and found a lever. "Why was it shut down?"

"Because the owners were members of the Nazi socialist party and were cannibals to boot. They decided that the best way to help the 'movement' was to put capitalist American pigs on the menu.

That's not the only thing either, their was the serial killer that loomed around the lake in early 1906, the arsonist in 1880, the union-jack butchers in 1864, and on and on. Each date corresponding with children and a few teens going missing in the area!"

The back wall of the freeze opened up reveling rock walls with a glair of river water to them. Vergil took a couple steps inside the cave, past the freezer, and said to Morrison, "Probably going to loose your signal very fast."

"Vergil, I should've studied better. Watch yourself in the nest. If that brood mother's been around as long I think she has, she's probably very powerful and taken down a few devil hunters before."

Looking at the rock walls as he traveled down the dark corridor, Vergil shrugged off Morrison's warning, "She's never faced down a devil hunter like me."

"That…watch out for….she's venerable….don't…" He was breaking off as Vergil hung up his cell.

Hearing river water pouring through the cave, Vergil walked slowly progressing down into the depths of the black abyss. There was some light but that was only from a few ancient torches that were still lit by some miraculous fire. It was a blue fire and gave the cave a very alchemic feel. Vergil couldn't help but comment to himself, as the cave walls began to expand on him and that blue light increased, "Looks like cannibalism isn't the only thing those Nazis were into." Referring to the oddly lit torches.

His boots were soon lightly submerged in water and he took a few steps seeing spots of black, dried-up blood on the rock walls. It was stained into the rock surface and there was no telling how many children had been dragged down here throughout the decades. Maybe some by those evil humans Morrison had mentioned earlier.

He was getting close to the lair. The walls were expanding even more with more blue light illuminating the cave. The water was now up to his ankles as he trudged on.

Stopping just short of an exit from the pathway into a huge rock chamber. It seemed to be a subterranean pond inside the cave concealed by the large rock chamber. The ceiling was high above Vergil's head with a small island in the middle and a large entranceway to another tunnel beyond.

What attracted Vergil's attention the most was what was on the island surround by the ankle deep water. The brood mother in all her ugliness. At almost forty feet tall, she had these small arms just above her waist that writhed about as if she was constantly straining for balance. It was no wonder because the rest of her body was this long, fat, slug-like tail. Plump and covered in back with greenish-blue scales while her front was a pearl white skin. Her head was the nastiest part. It protruded like a dog's snout with these huge, dark red lips that looked like they were smeared on with gallons of lipstick. Her eye were on the side of her head like her brood's but they were slit like crocodile eyes and moved separately of each other. Two thin feelers waved and bobbed around on the sides of her head like the feeler on an Angler Fish. Her teeth were like her children's but bigger and even more jagged. Like twisted stalactites hanging in her mouth. She let out this loud warble sound from her mouth sounding like a giant frog's dying croak.

Vergil entered the inner sanctum of the brood mother, not being noticed by her. He noticed that two razpoles came out of the water left to him bring a girl from the lake up to the back tail of the brood mother. The large mother struggled to turn herself as she faced her two children with the small child in hand. She bent down and opened her large lipped mouth seemingly wanting to engulf the child. Maybe this was the process she used to incubate her eggs.

Bring Yamato close to him, Vergil said to himself, "Oh no you don't! You don't get one more. This nursery's closed."

Swing around, Vergil grabbed Yamato by the hilt sending his sheath flying towards the two, nailing them both right in the temples. They both dropped the girl right before shoving her down the giant brood mother's throat. The mother swung her head towards Vergil and made a bass roar with a green slime bubbling from the corners of her mouth.

The small girl got up and ran towards the blue-coated warrior. She grabbed onto Vergil but he gently pushed her away saying, "Go out the way I came in." Pointing to the corridor of rock behind him, "Get to Gallery Lake Camp, you'll be safe there."

She rushed out as Vergil walked towards the brood mother with Yamato at his side, wanting to shove the sword deep into the heart of the large mother. His boots slamming into the water like a mad beast's feet. His eyes glimmering with want of death and destruction. Three razpoles tried to stop him but he cut them to humanoid ribbons as easy as a blender on puree.

The large mother writhing in front of him as he swung his sword, pointing it at her, "Don't worry, you'll see all of your children very shortly."

She hissed at him and swung her tail right for Vergil. Jumping in the air to avoid it he spun thrusting his sword straight at the mother's chest. She rolled out of the way and then came flying at him with her tail knocking him into one of the rock walls. Slipping off the island, she went through the low water level like a giant torpedo, charging for him with her mouth wide open. Rolling out of the way, Vergil landed on his feet and sent three air slashes for the massive beast. The three slices hit the monster cutting into her hard scales but all it did was make her more enraged as black blood oozed from the wounds.

Swinger her head around with a belting croak, she flew up into the air sending her entire mac-truck-sized body into the air nearly landing on Vergil.

He dodged out of the way as the mother came down like a meteorite crashing into the water, sending up a wave that splashed over Vergil but didn't shake him from his tall stance with Yamato still at his side.

Spinning her body around she slithered her tail around a rock in the wall and pulled it from the cave. Flinging it at the devil hunter, Vergil sliced it in two as the two pieces flew by him crashing into the wall behind him. He ran at the mother beast as she sent three more his way, Vergil chopping away all of them. He spun his sword like a clock's hand and jumped in the air with the blade pointed right for the mother's brain base. She opened her mouth wide and chomped his whole body engulfing the demon slayer.

She swallowed but nothing went down. Vergil pried her mouth apart saying to himself, "Now I know why you things stay underground. Your breath alone would kill people." Jumping from her mouth she bit at him three times while Vergil sent a long slash right at her head, cutting open a piece of her face above her mouth.

Landing on his feet he sent another air slash at her, cutting her chest wide open with a black gash ripping open across her chest. She nearly tumbled over as her little arms tried to keep her upright. She stayed up, bending backwards with a belching roar. With it came a long stream of gelatinous, dark green sludge.

It splashed over Vergil and burned him with incredible pain. He was sent down to one knee holding onto his ground with the help of his sword. He planted the blade deep in the rock floor and tried to wipe the stuff off with water but all it did was burn more. Vergil let out a muffled grumble as the brood mother spit out more of the stuff onto Vergil's body. He tried desperately not to scream out in utter pain as he was close to falling on his face.

More of the ooze was unleashed on him as he struggled to stand. He was covered in the stuff and columns of steam rolled off his body. His skin began to detach from his body bubbling with blood from his arms and face as he let out a small cry of pain. Another wave of sludge was vomited on him as now he couldn't even see out past it, covering him in a liquid cocoon of the stuff. His flesh melting off of him.

The pain was unbearable with his strength fading, he dropped Yamato and it barely was visible from the outside as he was encased in the crud. The brood mother grabbed him with her tiny arms while he struggled a bit. She licked her lips in delight of swallowing the demon hunter whole.

Suddenly, bright blue lightning blasted out of the ooze and struck the brood mother in the face. She dropped Vergil rubbing her eyes. He didn't land on the ground, hovering in midair, the sludge exploding off his body leaving nothing left but Vergil in his Devil Triggered state.

He stretched his silver claws with Yamato flying up to meet them. He grabbed a hold of it as his clothes had infused with his body making his skin a blue and black scaled armor. Dragon scales flowed down his body with his coat becoming like bat wings and his chest pulsating with a blue light. Yamato changed as well inside he clawed clutches looking more like a blue, black, and silver Sparda with serrations on the blade that of a giant chainsaw. His hair turning into white, curled horns on his head with his eyes glowing a brilliant, ruby red.

Vergil roared out like an enraged titan at the brood mother in his Devil Triggered form with his teeth long and sharp looking like they could take a chunk out the brood mother with the greatest of ease. A black-forked tongue slithered out of Vergil's mouth as he hovered in the air. Winding back with his transformed Yamato, he swung the sword for the neck striking faster than light.

Her head was cut right from her body. It went flying, hitting the water with a wet smack as her body crumpled to the ground with black blood spurting from the neck wound.

Hovering down to the ground on outstretched, blue wings he landed softly in the water and came out of his devil form. He was back to normal tiredly walking over to where he left his sheath. He ran his sword down along the blade case and then inside. He looked at the dead brood mother saying, "You're lucky I stopped at your head." He pulled on his coat and walked away. Walking out of the cave and away from Gallery Lake itself.

By the time he made it to the camp, the sun was just coming up over the horizon and he saw all the kids there. The police were also there and he sneered. He was not answering any of their questions. Vergil despised the police and successfully avoided them until the bus got there to take all the kids home.

Jocelyn eased her way out of one of the cabins and got on the bus leaving the camp behind. She looked over at Vergil approaching him like a scared rabbit. She was rubbing her arm shyly asking, "Umm, you getting on the bus?"

Looking at the large vehicle, Vergil looked back at Jocelyn answering, "I don't think you would feel comfortable with me on that bus. Besides…" A fancy car looking like a Ferrari pulled up with Vergil smiling at it. "I think I'm covered."

Jocelyn turned away quickly and got on the bus. The bus made that familiar whine and began to head out of sight.

Slowly walking to the car, Vergil was in no rush. He turned for a minute looking back at the camp making sure there were no kids left. The camp had been evacuated. The only ones left were a few police walking around. Vergil got in the car and looked over at the driver. It was the same driver that drove the limousine.

As the driver pulled out onto the road, speeding off from the camp, Vergil heard his cell go off. Answering, it was Morrison, "Vergil? Have you left yet?"

Looking at the interior of the fancy car, Vergil said to Morrison, "Well, it doesn't make up for all of it but a small fraction."

"Oh the car? That's part of the driver's stash."

"So who is this guy anyway?" Vergil asked looking over at the shaded man. Vergil couldn't see his face nor any part of him. Just an outline and two hands on the steering wheel covererd in large gloves that seemed too big for his hands.

"Never you mind that. Did you find the lair?"

"Yes, she won't be pulling down anymore children."

"At least that's something. There's something I forgot to mention earlier, Vergil."

Slightly sighing, Vergil asked, "Seems that you're doing that more often than not. What?"

"Well, its probably nothing, I'll see you back at…"

"No! You brought it up, old man. Now its time for you to articulate."

"Did you see another big razpole besides the brood mother?"

"What? No."

"One that was shaped like a centaur with a scorpion-like tail and metal for hair?"

"I wasn't aware such a thing even existed."

"Yeah, that would've been the brood sire."

"You mean there's a brood father?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's still not around. He only impregnates the mother then leaves. She was probably impregnated 400 years ago. But…" Morrison cut himself off.

"But what?"

"He doesn't need evil to be awakened. He's awake constantly searching for other brood mothers regardless whether their asleep or awake to impregnate. I'm sure he's gone looking for another by now. I don't think he'd return to check-up or hear a siren call for help or anything."

Vergil disconnected Morrison contemplating what had just been said. Figuring that no matter if it was gone or not, it was still on the loose, still causing havoc. He thought about telling the driver to turn around but there were no more kids so the lake was clear. Not remembering the cops still investigating.

* * *

Two young cops flashed their lights around the cave looking for clues to something. Their supervisor came over the radio asking, "Found anything yet?"

The one replied, "Nothing yet."

"Keep looking."

The two cops stumbled around in the brood mother's chamber when they came upon her body. They looked at it in disgust when suddenly this large splash came from behind them. Both of them turned around frightened with one of them being backhanded right into a rock wall, dying from impact.

The other shuddered with his flashlight staring at the large, hideous creature. Standing on four legs like a horse with a scorpion-like tail as the cop drew his pistol. He didn't get a shot off as the tail went through him piercing to a wall like a spear with his limp, dead body suspended from the tail. The tail pulling out of the wall with the cop's dead body splashing down from the tail into the murky water.

The brood sire turned its head and sniffed the air with its rat-like nose. Its head being shaped like a rodent's with two, slime-covered, insect pincers protruding from its mouth. Long hair made out of a mesh, grey steel in a mullet flowing down the back of its nasty head and neck. It hissed with anger as its eyes burned a bright red with fury. Hissing out one word with clenched fist that bore the singed sign of Mundus, "Dante!"


	12. Limbo City, HQ: 1

**(A/N: I picked Limbo City because no one knows where the DMC shop is located, at least, I didn't find any information on it. I thought it was a good name and its the only real 'city' that has ever been named in the DMC series so I thought why not. Remember reviews are happily accepted. I always look forward to them!)**

* * *

Dante was sitting at his desk twisting his sword by the hilt with apathetic amusement. Lady was over by the right wall with her arms folded listening to Morrison speak. Trish was sitting just left of Dante on his desk with a slice of pizza in her hands. The last one out of ten empty boxes lying in a corner of the Devil May Cry shop. Both Vergil and Nero were sitting on the couch at the left wall. Vergil was on a cushion with his head against Yamato's hilt with his eyes closed. Nero was on the arm rest with one of his feet resting on Dante's drum set.

Morrison was comfortably on the steps that lead to the second level typing away on his laptop, talking as he did, "Seems that the influx of demons and evil into the world is on the rise."

Dante nonchalantly said, "Well then, its good business."

Sighing, Morrison weakly said, "Dante, I have never seen it this bad. Not to mention all the stuff you guys have told me."

Kicking his feet up on his own desk with Trish having to tilt her head to miss his boots, Dante said, "Hey, I haven't heard it all, how about letting me in on it."

That was when Lady inched off the wall, "Like I told Morrison, Dante; they were praying to Mundus."

Trish was finishing off the last bits of the slice agreeing, "Yeah, not to mention that psycho I had to deal with in that prison."

Folding his arms behind his head looking over at Nero, Dante asked, "What about you kid? You get a 'hell-a-gram' from the three-eyed boogeyman?"

Nero looked at the floor contemplating his response, "Nope. I got one from another."

Again, Morrison spoke up. "Dante, Mundus isn't the only demon lord on the block like we originally thought. We thought he was the ruler of the entire demon world. We were wrong. Every believe around the world has its own idea about who rules the underworld and for damn good reason."

Shrugging off the news, Dante sighed out, "And that would be?"

"Nobody really knows who rules down there. Mundus has just been such a thorn in your side that he made you think he was in charge. Not to mention Sparda was one of his knights."

Nero piped in, "Yeah but it looks like these demon lords are all jocking for the position."

Dante did his best not to give Morrison an intimidating stair, "Alright, hold on, wait-just-one-second here!" He threw his feet off his desk leaning against it, "You meaning to tell me that Mundus not only doesn't run the show, Cirque Du Sadistic, but that he's not even a major player?"

Morrison took a couple of relaxed breaths, "I don't know Dante. He's a major player I'm sure but he's just one in a very big team."

Grabbing Rebellion by the hilt with vigor, Dante got up as Trish licked her fingers of the little grease left from the last slice she had just finished off. Walking over to Morrison, Dante planted his blade into the step below Morrison and got right in his face, "That triple-eyed menace took away my mother, nearly killed Trish, and almost turned my brother into a slave!"

Vergil silently said, "Almost."

Dante went on still being in Morrison's face, "And now you're telling me he's not a threat?"

Morrison looked up from his laptop calmly telling Dante, "I didn't say he wasn't a threat. I am just saying that he's not the only threat we have to worry about anymore. He's been lying to you since day one. He's not the leader of the demon world."

"How do you know?"

Vergil looked up from the floor and said to his upset twin brother, "Why would he be fighting for something he's already got?"

Dante snapped his focus to Vergil, "He's playing us. Trying to make us think he's not as strong as he really is."

Trish looked at Dante with a sardonic look, "Dante, come on! You ever known Mundus to hold back any of his power? Lie about having more sure. Lie about having less, not his style."

Pulling his sword slowly from the step, Dante walked towards Trish, "No, I guess you're right."

Leaning back, putting his sword on the side of the couch, Vergil strongly agreed. "Damn right she's right. Mundus was never shy about his power. If he's fighting in a war for the throne of Hell, then he's coming at us and anything else in his way with everything he's got."

Nero spun the Blue Rose in front of him, juggling it from one hand to another, "So this symbol I saw?"

Lady smiled, "I told Morrison to do some digging for you Nero."

With an excited tone to his voice, Morrison said, "Yeah, check this out." He turned his laptop so Nero could get a better look at it. On screen was an ancient book with the symbol on it among a few others. "Recognize it?"

Nero cocked his head a bit as Dante sat down kicking his feet up again, twirling the Rebellion at his desk. Morrison stretched his arms trying to get Nero to see the laptop better.

It hit Nero like a hard shot to the face, "Now I remember!" He said, getting off the couch, "Credo had that book once."

Turning the laptop back around, Morrison began to lay out the history, "Yeah that's no surprise Nero. This is the Cantus Infernal. A book of hundreds of praises to at least ten different semi-rulers of Hell. This and three other books hold these rulers' signs. Mundus is among them. Guess where this book is at, along with its three counterparts? The Order's library. Apparently, the Order figured from this book and the others that there were other rulers of the demon world besides Mundus. A lot more."

Vergil's interest was peaked, "Who else?"

Answering, Morrison continued, "Well, they've got Argosax in here and then there's Nero's mystery symbol."

"Yeah," Nero nearly shouted, "Who's that?"

As if he was reading from an ancient book, Morrison said, "The pointing downward C with the six wavy lines is the symbol of the demon lord, Balscoth. Seems he's in the same pit of the underworld as Mundus. Unlike Mundus though, instead of being a take charge, semi-angelic being; Balscoth is an ugly, hateful creature. Likes to wallow in filth and waste. He hides from all and sees all. He is the pig of Hell and takes cloak & dagger to a whole other level. He is an ugly, malformed beast and he likes it like that. Not hiding his demon form in anyway."

Dante swung his sword skyward and caught it by the hilt, "So, Mundus is the pretty-boy while this Balscoth is the cousin nobody talks about?"

"More like the uncle." Morrison said, "According to the Cantus Infernal, Balscoth is even more powerful than Mundus. A true product of the environment embracing his demonic heritage rather than trying to hide it. He also seems to have quite a choir section dedicated to him in several of his praising hymns in this book."

Nero sneered at the proposed other semi-ruler. "Definitely a war going on."

Dante spun Ebony in front of him looking over the handgun, "One problem at a time. First we deal with Mundus, then we can concentrate on this Balscoth."

Morrison happily said, "I'll look around on the net and see if I can't find any kind of factor that'll make his forces easier to find."

Trish hopped off the desk along with Lady both of them saying, "I'll help."

The three of them started to walk upstairs when suddenly a hard knock came from the front door. Dante spun Ebony back into his coat and sheathed Rebellion back on his back. Both Nero and Vergil stood up from the couch with Morrison and the two ladies at the head of the steps.

Opening the door, Dante stared right into the eye sockets of a fiery skull. It was humanoid having huge fangs glistening with fire. Two ram-like horns jutting out from it temples seemingly aimed right for Dante. A black leather jacket donning the fiery, skeletal figure with biker attire up and down its bony body. Claws seemingly made of steel on its fingers and steel boots to match.

Behind the blazing skeleton was more bony, fiery biker members. Some were covered in burning moss and another seemed taller and bigger than the others with guns all over its flaming frame. Motorcycles covered in fire were parked next to each member of these hellion road hogs with one being a blazing chopper with no rider next to it. That fiery bike belonged to the one eyeing Dante at his front door.

It raised its steel-clawed index finger at Dante and hissed out his name like five evil souls from Hell itself simultaneously moaned out, "DANTE!"

Dante just smiled at the burning hell-riders and turned his head back towards his shop, "Morrison its for you, your Bridge club's here."


	13. Limbo City, HQ: 2

**(A/N: A few readers were concerned that I had changed things up by calling the city, Limbo City. that I was switching over to the reboot Dante instead of the normal, red-coated, white-haired, son of Sparda. That Vergil too was being switched up and a few other things might fade off. I tell you here and now that that is NOT the case! Dante, Vergil, and the rest are still the same. They are NOT the reboot versions at all. I am using the city's name because I think it fits in well with the Divine Comedy motif that DMC has always had through it. The characters used herein are from the 4 orginal games in the DMC series and short lived anime series. I just wanted to make it crystal clear to everybody that I am NOT NOR EVER switching to the reboot versions of anything.  
I understand this caused some confusion and I am deeply sorry about that. Also, I own none of these characters except for the orginal characters and even some of those are debatable. If any of you were hoping that I was switching over to the reboot versions of these characters I am sorry to you too. I am NOT and this series will NOT contain anything from the reboot beside the city name of Limbo City. Again, I am very sorry for the confusion to all my readers and hope the explanation and apology makes up for it.)**

* * *

The skeletal nightmare roared at Dante swinging a chain around its fist, punching Dante with that chained hand. Dante flew back blasting through a wall into a back alley knocking down a few trash cans. Coughing a bit he said to himself, "And here I thought I was going to have to close-up shop early today."

A roar of metal came from within the shop as Nero began to rev up the Red Queen. He walked around the corner with a sneer on his face. Lady was also ready with Kalina Ann as she gently pushed down Morrison with a clear shot at the skeleton riders. Shooting out a missile charged with Trish's power, the skeletal rider leaned to his right and the powered-up projectile went right past him leaving a smoking trail right in front of his burning skull. It hit a building behind the riders leaving a large, gapping hole in the building in front of the shop.

The skeleton turned its head slowly back at Lady holding up a strange looking gun. It was an SMG of some kind but it had spikes around the barrel and looked like a bat's body.

Nero was quick with his sword batting the gun right out of the demon's hand. They both watched the gun fly as Vergil came in right behind Nero with Yamato out in front unsheathed.

The bony monster backed away from the building tracked by Nero and Vergil both heading outside after the skeleton with Dante walking cockily behind them. The fiery monstrosity got on it flaming chopper as a hail of gunfire washed over Nero and Vergil.

The biggest demon had produced a huge machine gun from thin air with large, black spikes on the barrel of the gun like it had horns all its own.

Both of the demon hunters rolled out of the way with Dante slinging Rebellion right into the chest plate of the biggest skeletal biker. The sword plunged deep into the bony frame of massive beast making it drop the machine gun. Dante jumped, spinning in the air, grabbing his sword still jutting out of the big demon's body, and shoved Ebony right in the mouth of the biker from hell. He let loose with a barrage of blasts from his gun driving the beast back over its bike, ripping Rebellion out of its chest with his free hand. Walking over to the wound hellion, Dante cut its skull off kicking it away from its body, shooting at it a few more time for good measure.

The bike and the demon both vanished into thin air, disappearing from the world as Dante spun Rebellion in front of him, pointing with the sword at the leader on the chopper, "You're next, big man."

The leader revved the chopper along with the others revving their bikes suddenly taking off. Dante raced over to the garage next to the shop opening it to reveal two bikes. A red one and a blue one. Dante got on one leading out the other and motioned Vergil on the other. Vergil didn't hesitate as he mounted the motorcycle with Yamato at his side.

Nero rushed down the steps outside the front door asking, "And what the hell am I suppose to do?"

Dante revved the bike and said, "See if there's any lackeys about, if there are, you know what to do."

The two brothers took off leaving Nero in the dust with him shaking his head, "Yeah, you two go off while I stay here and mop up like some damn janitor!"

Lady, Trish, and Morrison all exited the shop on their guard. That was when the two ladies heard a rush of thunder. They looked up at one of the buildings across the street from Devil May Cry seeing a man in a black trench coat with two katanas across his back. He roll-jumped off the roof, six stories down, landing with perfect ease. Ripping the two katanas from his back he spun both of them as he paced around Nero like a hungry lion.

"Eh," Nero said with a bit of enthusiasm recognizing him as the man who was outside the large mansion where he had fought the naga. "You want to give me a hint as to which side you're on?"

The man in the black trench coat stopped and asked in a calm, normal sounding voice, "Where's Dante?"

A slight laugh escaped Nero, "You know, nobody's ever looking for me. I'm just as much of a demon hunter as he is."

With a bit more venom in his voice, the katana wielding man asked again, "Where?"

"Not here. I can take a message though." Nero said, sliding the Red Queen's blade across the ground.

The man's thin-trimmed goatee edged upwards in a slight smile, "As much of a demon hunter as he is, huh? Funny thing, you taking messages like this, like some kind of secretary."

Trish and Lady were both on their guard against him while Morrison was looking for any kind of info on the guy. He found a few different demon's that fit the bill but none that were quite this particular disguised demon.

Clenching the Devil Bringer in rage at the man's pompous comment, Nero tilted his head toward the three saying, "I got this, you guys stand back. If there's any problems besides this loser be ready."

Putting her hand on her hip, Trish said, "You know boy, were not exactly damsels in distress here. We can handle ourselves."

"Fine! Then handle yourselves."

Lady then said, "Be careful Nero. We don't even know who this guy is."

Morrison barely looked up from his laptop, "I can't find a thing on this guy!"

The man slyly said, "Trying looking up the name Vegdax."

Morrison reluctantly did as he was told but got nothing. "Yeah so?"

"It's my name. You wont find anything on me. Not yet anyway. I'm not as old as many demons."

Spinning the Red Queen and then slamming it into the ground, Nero knelt on the hilt like waiting on a bus asking, "Look, you guys want to trade notes back and forth all day or can I tear this guy apart now?"

The trench-coated man calling himself Vegdax just smiled spinning his swords, "You think you have a shot at me, kid? Please, by all means, give me your best shot."

Nero grabbed the hilt and revved his sword, "I thought you'd never ask!"

Swinging the Red Queen forward from the street, Nero whipped out a long, wave of fire from his sword and Vegdax dodged out of the way with the young demon slayer coming at him full throttle. Nero took two circled swings above his head gaining momentum as the third he brought down on Vegdax. The demon man though blocked the swing bring his katanas up in an X-shape. Vegdax sneered saying, "Hmm, just as strong if not stronger."

Mid-battle, Nero could only ask, "What?"

Vegdax kicked Nero's feet out from underneath him and spun around planning to plant one of his katanas straight through the chest of Nero. He got out of the way rolling on the street back up to his feet with the Red Queen facing outward in readiness.

Twisting to be face-to-face with Nero, Vegdax had his own swords facing outward. "Dante. You're just as strong if not stronger than Dante. Is there a reason you're holding back? Why not show me what you can really do. That hand of yours holds your real power, doesn't it?"

Nero looked at the Devil Bringer, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Not as bright though it seems. I would much rather be facing down Vergil or Dante than their secretary."

Charging Vegdax, Nero came in heavy with the Red Queen, wanting to chop Vegdax in half. The demon man just back-flipped out of the way of the slice and came to stand on an awning a little ways from Devil May Cry. "Even though you have skill, you're nowhere near on their level. You may even be stronger but you don't know how to use it. If Dante or Vergil had that kind of power, they would have unleashed it long ago. Maybe you should join the army or something. Go help out there. This demon hunting stuff isn't for you."

Growling at the man, Nero flung out the Devil Bringer grabbing the man's entire body firmly and then slamming him right into the street making a hole the size of a small meteor. Nero then said in triumph, "You need to shut-up!"

A slight laughter came from the hole as Vegdax stood out of it, laughing as he did with a slight stumble. He walked out of the hole with both swords in hand, "Now that's what I'm talking about. If you had done that sooner or kept your assault going just now, I wouldn't be able to stand. Yet here I am and you wont grab me like that again."

Deciding to prove him wrong, Nero launched out the Devil Bringer again but this time he missed. Vegdax dodged to the right and drove the point of his katana right for Nero's face. Nero rolled out of the way coming back with a swing of the Red Queen. Vegdax blocked it easily and spun away from Nero. Stopping on a dime right in front of the awning he had been on previously. Letting one of his katanas dangle to the ground while the other with the blade pointed at Nero. "Now what did I tell you? You may have fought many demons but none as powerful as me!"

Nero clenched his teeth saying with hatred, "I've brought down an anti-god before! It don't get no bigger than that!"

"I beg to differ." Vegdax said, going at Nero with one of his katanas. He sliced for Nero but Nero easily blocked it as the two warriors clashed together with their respective blades straining against the other.

"You trying to tell me your some kind of demon god?" Nero asked angrily.

"No, but like you, I have the blood of Sparda flowing through my veins."

Nero pushed him back with Vegdax stopping himself planting both of his swords into the street. Nero held the Red Queen in front of him with one hand, pointing at the black trench-coated man, "I don't have time for your bullshit!"

Meanwhile, Morrison was shocked along with Lady and Trish. They looked at Vegdax and knew that he wasn't lying. Nero though seemed to believe he was but the others knew he wasn't.

Pulling his sword blades from the street, Vegdax spun them and waited for Nero's next move. He paced around Nero like before with both katanas at his sides.

Not waiting for anything, Nero raised his sword back and tried to slash Vegdax in half. Vegdax quickly brought up his two swords and stopped the big blade cold. He then kicked Nero in the chest sending the young demon slayer onto his back.

Spinning his swords onto his back, Vegdax quickly spun his body producing a double-barrel shotgun and shot Nero in the face. Nero was wounded from the shot as Vegdax flipped the breach open and ejected the two used shells. Closing back up the gun he was ready to fire again. Moving quickly and aiming even quicker he was ready to end Nero.

That was until he was surrounded in chains of lightning. Trish came onto the scene while Nero healed from the shotgun blast. Lady grabbed him under his arms and dragged him away as now Trish was keeping Vegdax busy.

He went down to one knee with the shotgun's business end supporting his weight. Trish smiled a bit saying, "Sparda's blood, huh? For one who claims he is another son of Sparda, you certainly don't fight like it."

Barely being able to speak, Vegdax retorted, "And for a previous servant of Mundus, you really don't have that much power."

Trish was a little confused by this but Vegdax stood straight up as Trish poured on more of her power. He then exploded with energy breaking the confines of Trish's electrical prison. He tucked his shotgun away revealing his two swords again. Trish was on the ground from the small blast and held up one of her hands weakly with lightning blazing from her fingertips.

Swinging his sword around, Vegdax brought the blade in front of him like a shield as all of Trish's bolts made contact with the blade. They lit up the steel as Vegdax blocked all of her power with a smile on his face. He took all that accumulated energy and slashed his sword with all of her power right back at Trish. A ball of white light was sent her way as Morrison pulled her out of the way just in the nick of time.

The ball of energy exploded with lightning as it dissipated into nothing singeing the curb and most of the street a charcoal black.

Nero stood up being fully healed from the shotgun blast running at Vegdax with the Blue Rose's sights on him. He fired three times but Vegdax was so fast that he dodged all three shots and took five slices at Nero landing three of them.

Falling back from the damage, Nero fell back onto the street with blood emptying out of his body. He was hurt seriously this time. Lady again tried to grab him and pull him inside the shop where he could heal better and she could take care of this fiend but Vegdax had other plans.

He spun twice and landed the tip of his sword right on the throat of Morrison. Trish had tried to stop him but he easily took care of her with a hit to her head from his sword's hilt and a blast of his shotgun. Trish, not having the healing properties of Dante, Vergil, or Nero, went down on the ground with a bleeding wound in her stomach.

"Leave him." Vegdax said, as he pressed the tip of sword's blade against Morrison's throat. Nero was still hurt but was already starting heal up fast from the nearly mortal wounds. Lady had her handgun pulled and said to Vegdax, "Who do you think you are?"

"The end of Dante! Tell him I'm coming for him and that I will send him straight to Hell and this time - he won't be coming back!"

Suddenly, Vegdax jumped up to the roof of the farthest building and was out of sight before Trish could launch one final attack or Lady could pull the trigger. Morrison however, had seen a symbol in white on the back of his coat. He knew it well.

Lady pulled Nero inside of Devil May Cry with Morrison gently picking up Trish and carrying her inside. Nero was nearly healed while Trish was badly wounded. Lady laid Nero on the couch with Nero thanking her for it.

She then went over to the pool table Morrison had laid Trish on and asked Morrison, "How is she?"

A moan came from Trish as she struggled against the pain. Her belly covered in red blood. Morrison replied, "I think she'll be okay. That blast she took would have killed somebody like you or me. Luckily, she's as tough as they come so I think she just needs some rest."

From the couch came a loud crash. Nero had kicked Dante's drum set to the floor and yelled out, "Damn it, who was that guy?!"

Morrison took a breath of sorrow, "I have no idea. There is nothing in the database about him. If he is a demon, which I'm pretty sure he is, then he's a brand new one. Without a classification or identification."

Lady looked at Morrison concerned asking, "Do you think it's true?"

"What? That that - thing has the blood of Sparda?"

Nero gave a scoff, "He's just toying with us."

"Look at Trish, Nero!" Morrison yelled out, "You ever seen a demon who could shake off Trish's power like that? Not to mention what he did to her!"

Looking at the couch, Nero finally said, "No."

"I didn't think so. None of us have. Only something with the blood of Sparda or beyond could have done this to her. She was one of Mundus's best and that Vegdax dropped her like she was nothing more than a buzzing mosquito." Looking down at Trish, Morrison continued, "I've seen her bring down whole hordes of demons and heard she went toe-to-toe with the likes of the Phantom and the Nightmare. Kept up with Dante more than a dozen times over. For someone to do this to her…" He trailed off.

Lady gently put her hand on Morrison's shoulder seeing the hurt and concern in his eyes. She too was worried about her sister-in-arms, "It's alright Morrison. She'll be good as new, just like you said."

"I hope so Lady. I really do. We can all be certain of one thing though."

Nero nearly yelled out in anger, "And that is?!"

"That Mundus isn't the only one wanting Dante murdered."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that white symbol on Vegdax's back. A down turned C with six waving lines."

"He's an assassin of Balscoth?!"

"I think he's more than an assassin. I think he's a dark knight."

"Nero got up from the couch groaning against some pain he was still feeling, "What like Sparda?"

"Exactly. Mundus had Sparda, now Balscoth has this psycho."

Lady decided to ask, "But how? How does he have the blood of Sparda?"

"I don't know. I will say this, I think we have two demon lords to worry about now."

Another painful moan escaped Trish's lips as Nero sat back down on the couch in depression. Lady too felt weak in her knees needing to sit down as well. All of them worried about the implications of both Mundus and this new demon lord, Balscoth being after them.

A small beep came from Morrison's laptop as he opened it up looking at a picture Vergil had sent him via his cell phone. Morrison let out an anguished sigh and said with a weak tremor to his voice, "Make that three."


	14. Limbo City, HQ: 3

Dante and Vergil both raced after the demon biker gang leaving the four to fend for themselves. They knew they could handle themselves while they went and took care of business.

The bikers raced through the city as Dante and Vergil kept up with them tailing them proficiently. Dante raced up to the first one in the back with his brother coming up on the other side. The skeletal demon was smaller than the rest but produced a huge sized revolver. Dante as well produced one of his handguns and the two began shooting at each other as they raced. The skinny, small demon forgetting about the blue-coated devil hunter on the other side. Vergil sliced Yamato right through the demon's neck cutting its head off and turning its entire body and bike into ash on the road behind them.

Two demon bikers broke off from the gang down an alley way as Vergil raced after them yelling back at Dante, "I'll get these two. You stay with the rest."

Dante reluctantly kept up with the gang as they were making their way to a long, well constructed bridge.

Vergil meanwhile sped through alleyway after alleyway as the two bikers zigzagged through the narrow corridors. The two fiery bikes crisscrossing trying to lose Vergil. It didn't work.

Catching up to one, Vergil grabbed him by the neck collar and threw him off the bike sending its demon form into some trash cans. The demon collided with the cans denting most of them and getting covered in garbage. Vergil was focused on the other as the trashed one got up to his feet. From his hand came a long, fiery chain it whipped out for Vergil.

The chain wrapped around Vergil's back tire as the demon yanked the chain sending the demon hunter straight to him. He was going to wrap Vergil in the chain but the son of Sparda hit the brakes sending the bike upward with the front tire pointed towards the heavens. The blue bike Vergil was on spun down the alleyway vertically like a metal tornado as Vergil used the force of the vehicle to drive his sword right through the face of the demon, sending his blade through the eye socket and out the back of its skull. It evaporated into ash as Vergil kicked the flaming chain from his bike with both tires landing on the pavement. Revving the bike, Vergil went after the nearly escaped other demon biker.

The two bikes raced out onto the street making two cars collide into each other with the two racers exploding from the alleyways. They flew down the street with the demon biker dodging a semi truck while Vergil slid right underneath it. Vergil in hot pursuit watching closely as the demon ahead of him pulled an SMG of some sort. It fired at Vergil but Dante's brother was too quick with his evasions.

The skeletal rider accidentally sent half a clip into a nearby parked car turning it into a flaming wreckage of flying fire and metal. Vergil had to twist out-of-the-way to dodge the flaming, metal meteorite as it landed on the street upside down, halting traffic and clearing the road for Vergil to race down. The flaming metal carcass of the car making the perfect roadblock.

Two more twists and turns down a few streets and the demon biker about went headlong into Dante's bike. Quick to react, Dante pulled up on his bike letting the biker pass him by as he sent five shots right for the bike hitting the fuel tank. The bike exploded into a huge mushroom cloud of fire sending the biker and the bike back to hell.

Vergil too about careened into his brother but being the driver that he was, he spun his bike behind Dante's and landed near his brother the both of them heading in the same direction the last four biker were going. Onto the bridge.

The two brothers sped onto the bridge after the demon gang as they were shot at by the bikers. A few cars were on the bridge but they had stopped to take phone pictures of the action. They were well out of harms way by the time the sons of Sparda passed them by.

Shots rang out as the two dodged the demon shot with Dante returning fire. He sped up and caught up to two of the bikers. Dante hopped onto the seat of his red bike with both of his guns pointed in each direction. He blasted away the two demons on both sides of him as the two bikes crashed into the railing on the bridge turning into black ash.

Catching up, Vergil said to his brother, "Show off."

"Oh and you're not?!"

"Can we just get these last two?!"

"After you, bro."

Vergil revved the bike and pulled past Dante racing towards the last remaining demons. Swinging Yamato like a whip, the last demon tried everything it knew to evade Vergil but Vergil sliced off its head and blew past the black ash it evaporated into. Dante came up right behind his brother as they chased down the last demon together.

This one was leader on a flaming chopper and his skill was way above all the others. The demon hiked up his bike and jumped it right off a small platform on the bridge landing on the side struts of the bridge. It rode right up the metal cables of the bridge leaving behind a trail of fire.

Dante and Vergil both came to a sliding halt and watched the bike fly upwards up the bridge with Vergil saying to himself and his brother, "Impressive."

Revving the engine of his bike, Dante took off for the opposite side of the bridge jumping onto the opposite strut riding upwards. Vergil folded his arms on his bike watching his brother ride up the bridge. He revved the throttle on his own bike and took off down the bridge waiting for one of the two to fall off the bridge.

Dante looked over at the demon and he back at him. Both of them pulling guns shooting at each other. Bullets from both flew overhead as Vergil kept up with both of them as he raced down the bridge waiting for opportunity to interlude.

Twisting the handle bars hard, Dante sped across the interlocking metal at the top of the bridge chasing down the demon chopper. The demon shot at him as Dante scored two direct shots into the back tire of the speeding demon. The flaming chopper fish-tailed a bit but the demon kept it under control as it jumped off the cables and back onto the street on the bridge where Vergil was waiting for him.

Vergil flung Yamato like a Chinese star making the sword spin through the air heading right for the demon. It evaded Vergil's sword having Yamato plant itself right into the street, blade first. Racing towards the demon, Vergil sped up as he grabbed his sword out of the ground revving the bike after the flaming menace.

Flying off the top cable of the bridge, Dante landed with a hard bounce onto the street of the bridge as he caught up with the two racing bikes. He rode up right next to Vergil with his guns put away and Rebellion thirsting for demon blood. Yamato was out also looking for the demon as both of the master swordsmen came up on both side of the demon.

Spinning both swords the two brothers plunged their weapons into the bike damaging it and sending the flaming vehicle along with its monster rider high into the air and crash landing on the road nearly fifty yard away.

The two came to a sliding halt facing each other as they looked at the wreckage beyond. The fire was large and bellowing up into the sky with smoke. They both got off their bikes together sheathing their swords. They walked together down the road nearly to the end of the bridge that connected one part of the city to another. The two trench-coated sentinels walking like warriors barely challenged by any of these hellish, bike riding abominations.

Reaching the wreckage first, Dante knelt close to the crashed bike and grabbed the demon leader by the collar-bone with it being trapped under its own destroyed bike. "Who sent you?" Dante asked.

Standing beside him was Vergil who was tapping his fingers on Yamato's hilt. Wanting to use his sword on the demon, wanting to send it right back to Hell.

The demon showed it fangs with a hiss and began to fade off into black ash like all the others along with his bike. Dante watched in disgust as it faded away without an answer. He stood up with vigor saying, "Fine, die then! Didn't want to talk to you anyway."

Vergil watched Dante walk off when he noticed that the ash pile hadn't fade off completely. "Dante."

Dante stopped and turned around and saw the ash pile forming itself into a shape, a symbol. "Can you get a picture of that with your phone?"

Kneeling down, Vergil flipped open his phone and took a picture of it sending it off to Morrison. "Let's see if Morrison can identify it."

The two brothers walked back to their bikes when Vergil heard he had a text. He looked at it and had a surprised look on his face. He showed it to Dante.

_IT'S ARGOSAX_

_GET BACK TO THE SHOP, TRISH IS HURT_

Vergil flipped his phone closed and said, "Argosax? Maybe we should…"

Dante was already off down the bride racing the bike as fast as it would go.

Making a loud exhale, Vergil got back on his bike and followed his brother all the way back to the Devil May Cry shop.

The two charged into the shop with Dante rushing to Trish's side. He looked at her and ran his hand over her head. Lady stepped up and asked, "Dante, she'll be okay, won't she?"

Looking at the wound, Dante let out a sigh of relieve, "She'll be alright she just needs rest." He gave Trish another pet clutching her blonde hair. "Who did this?!" Dante asked with hate in his voice. A surge of red energy went through him as he asked. Wanting the name of the individual who would do this to Trish.

Morrison spoke up, "He was a servant of Balscoth. Wore a black trench coat with two swords on his back."

"Where is he?!"

Nero decided to answer, "He bailed a little while ago. I tried to - I tried to…"

"It's not your fault, kid. When I find this - this…"

Morrison said, "Vegdax."

"When I find him, I am going to send him to a hell worse than the one he came from!"

Dante went to leave the shop when Morrison spoke up, "Dante!"

He had to struggle to stop but he did and listened intensely.

"Not only does he serve Balscoth, he has the blood of Sparda."

Vergil and Dante both looked at Morrison in disbelieve. Vergil clenched his fist at Morrison, "How is that possible?!"

"I don't know."

Dante took in a long inhale of the city's air. "Well you'd better find out Morrison. Because we have Mundus trying to bring himself back into the human world, this Balscoth making it pretty clear that he wants all of us out of the picture, and now Argosax is throwing his hat back into the ring. We're going to have step up our game and show them that even devil's can cry."


	15. Chili Con Carnage: 1

"Morrison! I'm going to cut you in-half and then feed what is left of you to a pack of wild dogs. I'm going to watch it all too!"

"Vergil, calm down!"

"No! I know - I'm going to dip you in a vat of acid."

"Finished?"

"I haven't even begun!" Vergil said as he looked around amidst all the joyous celebration and the cooking of meat and tomatoes. He was standing right next to a wooden table draped in a picnic-like tablecloth with red and white squares. On top of the table were at least eight large pots all with cooked chili in them. The very smell made Vergil sick to his stomach. Next to him, about twenty feet away or so, was another table looking identical. The trees that were around had strings of colored flags connecting them and two kids ran by him playing with a small dog.

Plenty of people were around him and one woman came up to him with a heavy southern accent and a large pot of chili, "Oh here darlin, pack on a few pounds and try Rita's world renowned chili!"

Vergil looked at her with cold eyes saying, "I'm sure its very world renowned. Did you use dog or cat in it?"

"Ya don't have to be so rude, sweetie. A simple no would've dun ya."

The lady walked away with Vergil talking to Morrison again. "Lady better be right about this!"

"I'm telling you Vergil, Lady says there's a pissed off voodoo priestess down there somewhere. She said that somebody stole the priestess's recipe and now she's taking it out on the entire community and what better way than at their gala event, their chili carnival."

Looking around at the people, Vergil said, "Yeah, I'll bet this is all these people do for fun besides hunting down deer with staple guns or something."

"Is Nero having a good time?"

Vergil spotted Nero eating huge wooden spoonfuls of chili from the previous woman who was pestering him. Nero had a big smile on his face contrast to his big sword and large revolver hidden in his coat. The Devil Bringer was hidden in a sling as the woman fed the chili to him. She also had a big smile on her face too. "Yeah, it seems like it."

"Well then, take a hint Vergil. Enjoy yourself just a little bit and keep your eyes open for anything weird."

Looking around at all the people attending the chili carnival, Vergil asked, "You mean besides these bumpkins, right?"

"Yes Verg…" Vergil hung up on Morrison before he could finish.

Coming over to him was Nero. He was licking his fingers clean of the tasty, meaty confection. He still had his gloves on but he didn't care telling Vergil, "Damn, this is great chili, you should really try some!"

Watching in disgust as Nero licked his fingers clean of the reddish meat soup, he responded, "I think I'll pass. Seen anything strange?"

"No but I've certainly tasted it! You seen that one guy with the bright blue pot walking around? He puts muskrat in his. Believe it or not its pretty good!"

Vergil swallowed hard, "Keep on the look out, I'm going to go sit down."

Staring at Vergil curiously, Nero was still licking his fingers clean of the tasty chili leftovers.

The blue-coated demon hunter was holding onto his sword tight as he sat down by a tree under the shade. He inhaled some as he breathed in the untainted air near the tree. A few more whiffs of that cooking meat and his stomach would have turned inside out. In a way it was ironic to him. He could stand plenty of gruesome sights, smells, and sounds but this meat soup was too much for him. He took another deep breath as he looked at the carnival go on.

He watched in disgust as Nero walked around and mingled with people eating more of their chili. All of them sitting at a big picnic table talking and laughing. He could hear them talking about him to Nero. One elderly man asked, "Ya friend, he doesn't say much, does he?"

Nero swallowed a large mouthful of chili replying, "No, he's the silent type. Kind of annoying really but he needs the right kind of stuff to talk about."

A younger girl barely in her twenties looked over at Vergil with a lustful smile saying in her southern twang, "I betch'ya I know of a few things he'd like to do more than talk about."

The bigger middle-aged woman from before named Rita said, "Mary-Sue hush now! That man's got trouble written all over him. Besides, I know these fancy-smansy city types when they come down here. He just don'ta look right."

Nero laughed with another mouthful of chili mumbling out, "It's alright, he's much more of a jerk when you really get to know him."

The group started laughing along with Nero as a few dark clouds started to roll in. Nero got up from the table with Vergil now standing. Fun and games were over. Purple lightning ripped through the dark clouds as they covered the small get-together. A strong wind blew as the two demon hunters both joined each other feeling the ominous presence in the sky.

Standing like stone sentinels against the coming storm, Vergil and Nero both stared up at the sky as a figure came into their vision from across the horizon. She was a tall, young black woman draped in a silky purple gown. She folded her hands over and pressed them against the gown. She made a slight mumble as her eyes went into the back of her head and she raised her hands to the sky. "Jimanana gernarboo. Eclinekoc flibila marituoso." With her eyes still in the back of her head she pointed at the small group of people and their children. "JimJock's been displeased with ja peoples. Ja stealing from his trusted servant and me madea, Turmon."

A purple bolt of energy ripped through the sky flashing the ground making the entire group gasp in horror. All except two. Vergil and Nero both stood tall in the face of the young, voodoo woman. Grasping at his Devil Bringer, Nero threw off the flimsy sling and revealed the glowing blue devil arm of his. Vergil ran his thumb around the hilt of Yamato as if he was assuring the sword that battle was to come but not until he himself was ready.

The seemingly possessed woman went on, "Now for ja crimes against JimJock, ja will all suffer his most heinous of creations." She pulled a small, blue stone from her pocket that seemed to be covered in blood. She laid it on the ground and walked away disappearing over an alluvial hill not too far from the chili picnic.

Dispersing, the clouds drifted off as the sun came back and the blue sky was revealed once again. Everyone calmed down thinking the worst was over. Even Vergil and Nero both became at ease. They still felt an evil presence though as Nero asked Vergil, "Is that it? She laid down a stone on some grass and were suppose to be scarred of it? Come on! It's going to take a hell-of-a-lot more than a flashy lightshow and some wannabe spell to scare me off!"

The stone exploded with power jumping into the air with shards of the destroyed stone flying into each pot of chili. The pots began to bubble like meaty caldrons as the brown soup rose from the containers boiling over the edge. Out of the blob-like chili came hands and arms. Small demons were dragging themselves right out of the pots. They had pointed face with no mouths but two big, emerald green eyes. Large, pointy ears that were bigger than their heads. Small bodies humanoid in nature looking like small chimps. Claws on their hands with skin the color of the chili they were crawling out of. Pustules grew on their arms and legs oozing out this foul smelling yellow puss. They screamed at the people as all of the chili-goers ran behind Nero and Vergil. They were, after all, the only two with weapons.

One leapt out of the pot and stood on the grass in front of the two devil hunters. It cocked it head curiously, standing only a foot-in-half high. Then its whole face split open in four different section like a plant with its buds opening lined with razor sharp teeth. It closed and all that was left was those green eyes.

Flicking his thumb ejecting Yamato from its blue sheath, Vergil said, "What about this?"

Nero reached behind his back as five more monsters joined the other. He revved the Red Queen charging the blade a red hot saying, "You kidding me. Everyone needs a good exercise to burn off a good meal."

One of the little demons chucked out a yellow spitball from its mouth. It flew past the two demon hunters and landed on a table dripping lumpy curds like rotten yolk from an egg. Vergil smelled the nauseous stench it left when it flew by and he almost gagged. Nero had a hard time keeping the chili in his stomach making a cough of disgust. Vergil was the first to say, "And I though the chili smelled bad."

The monsters roared at them as they ran right for the two. Both warriors ready with their swords as the two of them slashed at the approaching demons, chopping them in half, making them turn into brown, chucky piles on the ground. More monsters were crawling out of the pots as the crowd of people hid behind the two. Nero just looked at the little monsters crawling out and made a frustrated sigh.

Vergil took a few glance at him asking confused, "What?"

"A party like this, I wish I had some tunes!"

* * *

**(A/N: If you were wondering, no this isn't the Halloween special. That's the next one after this case.)**


	16. Chili Con Carnage: 2

Vergil rolled his eyes at Nero as two monsters jumped right at him. He threw Yamato's sheath to the ground as he sliced the two out of the way with his sword going right through them like tomatoes. They exploded into chunks of meat landing on the ground in clumps.

Nero revved the Red Queen spinning it at the table with the pots cutting down at least eight of the small, disgusting demons just missing the table itself. Four more jumped on Nero's back but he swung them off swinging his sword wildly cutting down three more of the small demons that had tried to jump on him.

Yamato cut six of them down as more came from the chili pots. Crawling out like spiders out of an egg sack. Jumping off the tables going after Nero, Vergil, and the others. Two of them spit out their disgusting slime balls but Vergil cut the balls away not getting a drop on his blade or his clothes. He then went at the demons cutting them all into chili confetti.

More of the monsters came out as Vergil and Nero continued their onslaught. Vergil hacking up nearly nine of the little demons in a tornado-like maneuver sending their scattered remains everywhere. Nero slashed away four and blasted away five with the Blue Rose. It only took him one pull of the trigger and all five were annihilated in one, single blast.

As Vergil slashed at three of them and Nero obliterated two, Vergil leaned into Nero and asked, "Is it just me or does it seem like the more we kill, the more seem to come out of these pots?"

Shooting twice scattering the remains of seven, Nero answered back, "Looks that way."

As Nero cleared away ten more he saw one going for the young girl from earlier who had taken notice of Vergil. He revved his sword all the way making the blade burn with a deep red and plunged the hot metal deep into the back of the chili-formed monster pinning it to the ground. Flames blasted from the sword as he spotted a group of eight going for the small group of humans. He revved the sword with the small monster still impaled on the ground, turning the small chili monster into a burning bomb. Swinging his sword upward he catapulted the small demon towards the oncoming group watching in sadistic glee as the monster collided with its cohorts exploding, turning all of them into splattered, brown goop. Nero loudly said, "Strike!"

They were still coming though as more bubbled out of the pots. Vergil sliced three of them in half as he saw seven more take their places. He cut down the seven as eleven were now on him. He easily spun them off turning into a bladed tornado chopping up the small demons into splattered, meaty leftovers.

Nero destroyed over fifteen more before going back-to-back with Vergil. Both demon hunters holding their swords close to themselves. Slashing and cutting the demons as more and more came after the two. Vergil looked back at Nero saying, "Try destroying one of the pots."

Spinning away from Vergil, Nero slashed at five demons catching all of them on his sword lined up like ducks in a row. They were obliterated by the impact of the blade as Nero aimed the Blue Rose right for one of the pots. He pulled the trigger sending two powered bullets right for the blue pot. The two bullets blasted the pot into pieces sending the smashed cooking ware shards all over like shattered glass. Chili erupted from the broken pot like a small volcano and fell on the ground. No more monsters were coming from the pot.

Going for another pot, Vergil was suddenly stopped by the old man from earlier who made his chili from muskrat. Picking up his pot like it was his child, he slammed a lid on it keeping the spawning monsters from his pot at bay. He gave Vergil a hard stair saying to him, "Your not destroying my chili! You have any idea how much preparation goes into this?!"

Holding Yamato in front of him calmly, Vergil had a wide stance staring at the man past the blade of his sword. He then said in his cold, calm demeanor, "You don't drop the pot, you'll never get the chance to make it again!"

The lid on the chili blasted off as the man dropped the pot falling to the ground himself. Several demons crawled out running for him. In a flash, Vergil cut all of them into mutilated, meaty confection bring his sword down in one last stroke cutting the pot itself in half. Chili oozed out of it like blood from a severed limb. Not one monster came from the destroyed pot.

Vergil and Nero finished off all the cooking pots as the last one was different. It wasn't blue or black steel like the others. This thing was rot-iron. It was large with steam bellowing from it with a wooden spoon sticking out of the top. Vergil backed away next to Nero asking him, "You remember that pot?"

Nero cocked his head bringing the Blue Rose close to his face saying monotonous, "Nope."

Raising Yamato in preparation, Vergil added, "Me neither."

Brown, chunky bubbles began to foam out the pot and boil over it as an exceptionally large creature oozed out of it. It looked much like the smaller minions they had faced only not so small. As it pulled its feet out of the pot, it stood at a gargantuan height nearly double the size of either demon slayer. Flexing it claws and roaring out at the two, it charged like an upright rhino for the warriors. They both spun out of the way as the rest of the tables were turned into splinters and the beast racked its claws down the tree Vergil had been sitting under earlier.

It turned ferociously snarling at the two, opening its mouth, letting out a horrendous tone of a bellow. It charged the two again as both Nero and Vergil sliced their sword across the stomach of the rampaging beast. It stopped behind them as the two master swordsmen expertly stayed still.

A large gout of internals swelled out of the monster and onto the ground making it fall to its knees. Vergil expertly put back Yamato in its case stalling before sheathing the entire blade. He looked back at the monster with Nero walking towards it with the Red Queen at his side and spinning the Blue Rose. He took careful aim and pulled back the trigger. Vergil popped the blade back into the blue case upon hearing the crack of the gun.

The monster's head blasted apart exploding like splattered paint. Its body folded up into a brown blob not being a recognizable form anymore. Just a pile of chili on the ground.

Vergil held Yamato at his side while Nero sheathed the Red Queen behind his back and holstered the Blue Rose. The two devil hunters walked away from the chili-goers when the young woman from before yelled out, "Wait! What about the woman?"

The two stopped and Vergil turned his head. "She's next."

Nero then turned his head asking, "Wouldn't happen to know where she is right now, would you?"

The young girl nervously said, "The farther I'm away from her the better!"

Holding two children close to her, protecting them as best she could, Rita spoke up, "She's not too far from here. Her and her mother use to own a cabin out in the swamplands. Its just west of here."

Nero and Vergil both nodded at her as they began heading for the cabin, leaving to put a stop to the voodoo women once and for all.


	17. Chili Con Carnage: 3

Moving some mossy vines out of his line of view, Vergil was the first to come upon the small, out-of-the-way cabin. Nero walked right up to it with Vergil nearly stomping over to him. He put his sheathed sword right up to his throat. "You fool! We need to be quite about this. If she gets one whiff of us, she's either going to send out some demonic horde after us or she is going to hightail it out of here. Either way -" Vergil removed his sheathed sword from Nero's throat, "I don't intended to let her go."

Nero looked at Vergil with intense eyes. "Like I do?" He walked away from Vergil and kicked in the front door to the cabin. He then turned to his blue-coated partner, "I don't do quite though. It's annoying."

Vergil stepped into the cabin nearly pushing Nero off the small porch to the cabin. "Well you've done it now."

Inside the small shack was a cornucopia of voodoo paraphernalia. Bones hung from strings on the roof. Chicken, cat, rat and dog bones. Jars to the left hand side of preserved animals and plants. The floor was dirt and growing out of it were all sorts of different colored flowers and plant life. Ahead of the demon hunters was a small table with a few wooden bowels filled with powders and liquids of unknown substances. Orange candle light lit the whole cabin giving it an ominous feel as the shadows of the hanging bones cascaded down to the dirt floor like a mess of spiders crawling along the vegetation in the floor.

Nero spotted a small hatch leading down next to the table. He went for it with Vergil close behind. The two descending down into the basement of the small shack. They had a few dark tunnels to go through but soon were in a small bunker-like room. Wood surrounded them on all sides with candles lighting the room. Ahead of them was a figure in a purple dress bending over a stone well. She was cranking a wooden handle lowering something into the well.

She rose up not looking at the two knowing who they were, "So, ja survived the attack, did ja boys? Would'ja like to hear a tiny story? Well, I be going to tell it to ja anyway. Me madea died some years back. But her chili recipe was her's and I's and JimJock's. Recognize dat name boys?"

Nero looked over at Vergil who just shook his head that he didn't.

As if she heard him shake his head, she said, "Ah well, it is no bother. He is a deliverer of justice in the spirit world. Ruler of many, dispenser of power. He knows of ja two. He has quite da bone to pick with ja!"

Faster than anyone in the cabin could track, Vergil had the blue casing off Yamato and was going in for the killer blow on the woman. She whipped around furiously as Vergil drove his sword right through the stomach of the voodoo woman. She gently touched his shoulder and whispered into his ear, "It is too late for ja."

A rumbling suddenly came from the ground as a bright purple light shinned from the well between the stones and out of the well itself. The voodoo priestess fell to the ground as Vergil pulled his sword from her anatomy.

A shadow came from out of the well rising out by an unseen force. It hovered over the floor standing tall like a dark king. A humanoid figure of otherworldly origin.

The light dissipated as now the shadowy figure could be seen all too clearly. It was a tall, lanky black man with a tall top hat that had a dark purple sash around it. A black, two-tail dress jacket with a purple handkerchief right in the middle below his chin. Dress pants with shinned, black shoes to compliment them. Jutting downward in between the shoes was a formal cane he held with a golden topper in the shape of two, curling ram horns. He was covered in a clear slime from head-to-toe with his eyes shut.

Vergil swung his sword with expertise waiting for something to happen. He knew it was going to. Knowing these powerful demons loved to make an entrance.

Flinging his eyes open, the top-hat man had a bright purple light emanate from his sockets and a howl came from him that knocked both Vergil and Nero to the ground. Both demon hunters were quick to get up though standing in defiance of the demon.

The purple lights from his sockets dimmed and the clear fluid on him flowed off and evaporated into nothingness leaving a well-dressed, lanky black man who tipped his hat to the two. "Permit me to introduce myself, I am JimJock."

Nero couldn't help but comment, "Sounds more like a pirate than a voodoo man."

JimJock looked down at the dead priestess woman. "Ah yes, these superstitious peoples - always giving me funny little names. It's the one I've gone by for many centuries. I suppose it'll do until they come up with another name for me." His voice was deep and powerful sounding. This was no ordinary, bottom-feeder demon they were dealing with here. Looking back at the two demon hunters, JimJock said in a sarcastic tone, "Now don't tell me, you're here to right my wrongs and destroy me so that humanity may be safe, is that about right?"

Vergil took a quick glance at Nero saying, "He is. I'm just here for the challenge of it."

JimJock Snarled at the two. He pointed at the two with his cane saying, "Demon slayers." Spinning his cane to point at himself, "Hunter of demon slayers."

With that, Vergil spun Yamato with precision while Nero went for JimJock like a wild barbarian. JimJock spun his cane off his foot and blocked both swords with ease. The two blades straining against the cane. Definitely no ordinary demon. Nero gritted his teeth while Vergil went for two more strikes still being blocked by the cane in the same position.

JimJock smiled at the two with slit, purple-tinted eyes saying, "You two maybe more fun than I thought." He threw both of them to the ground with Nero back up on his feet first. He fired two shots from his revolver with both of them ricocheting off of JimJock's cane. Motioning him closer, JimJock said enthusiastically, "Come on demon slayer. This is what you live for, right?!"

Swinging his sword in front of him, Nero went to plunge the Red Queen right into JimJock's chest but he spun around Nero, bopping him on the head hard with his cane. Nero was knocked to the ground being put down more by humiliation than force.

Vergil was next as he swung his body up from the ground and let loose with a barrage of sword maneuvers. Everyone of them not nailing a single hit on the top hat wearing demon. JimJock was very well versed with his cane and after a few traded blows with Dante's twin he knocked his feet out from under him and then kicked him to the wayside next to Nero.

Belting to his feet, Nero went at JimJock again with the Red Queen as JimJock laughed a bit at the demon slayer's futile attempts to harm him. Vergil meanwhile was getting to his feet when he saw a small symbol on the dead voodoo priestess's arm. He looked at it and saw it was two capitol Js mirrored next to each other with a wavy line in between them. It took Vergil a minute but then it rolled over his head like a Mac-truck. Vergil got to his feet and yelled out, "Nero!"

He wasn't paying too much attention as he went for five sword slices with a revved Red Queen and all it did was make JimJock plow his cane right into Nero's face. The hit sent him down to the ground nearly putting him right through the floor of the basement.

Holding his head, Nero whined out, "What?!"

Vergil then said, "He's a demon lord!"

Nero got to his feet with his head still throbbing asking, "Are you sure?"

JimJock decided to answer for him. "Usually, we don't like to get our hands dirty but you two are a special case. If I can finish you here and now then my demon brethren will be avenged."

"Oh yeah!" Nero said, clenching the Devil Bringer. "Avenge this!" He launched out with the Devil bringer and grabbed JimJock by the face. He dropped his cane and tried to grasp at the large, blue glowing hand but his hands were burnt away from it. Nero hauled him over to the well with a primal yell planting him right in it, destroying the well and cracking the floor along with it. Nero wasn't sure how deep he had drove the demon lord down in the abyss and he didn't care.

The foundation of the cabin began to crumble making the two demon slayers run upstairs with their weapons in toe. They jumped from the cabin as a purple gout of fire engulfed the small cottage making it disappear under purple flames. The two slayers stood victorious as Nero said, "I think that's the last will see of JimJock."

Vergil's eyes were pools of concentration. He spoke low and menacingly, "JimJock is a demon lord. Even if you did send him back to Hell, he'll have some part to play in the upcoming war." Vergil then looked at Nero's devil arm, "I knew that thing had power…" He said, cutting himself off.

Nero looked at the Devil Bringer, "Yeah?"

Cocking his head, Vergil finished, "But to decimate a demon lord like that?! I'd be careful with that if I were you."

Still looking at it, Nero said, "Damn thing drives me crazy. I wish I could remember how I even got it."

With surprised eyes, Vergil said, "You never told me you didn't remember how you got it."

"I've asked Kyrie before and she doesn't remember either. All I remember is that it hurt really bad. My shoulder it…" Nero struggled for the memory but it just wasn't there or it was and something was blocking it. Vergil noticed a small pulse of power from the Devil Bringer.

The two devil hunters turned from the cabin and Nero asked Vergil, "So, you think you're ready to try some of that chili?"

Giving him a quick glance of annoyance, Vergil quickly said, "I don't think I'm ever going to eat soup of any kind again!"

Nero held his stomach and said, "You know what? Come to think of it, I think I ate too much!"


	18. All Dragoon's Eve: 1

**(A/N: Happy Halloween everyone! This case is going to be a bit longer than usual because it is a holiday special, of sorts. I hope you all enjoy and remember; reviews are more then** **welcome!)**

* * *

Halloween night. The air was cool and refreshing with the smell of dead leaves in the air. The moon was large and bright in the sky. A warm breeze blew through the streets being comfortably more warmer than the usual for this time of year. Dante couldn't help but admire Trish in the moonlight. Her beautiful body was all bound up by that restrictive leather outfit. He was glad to see she had come fully armed though. Morrison hadn't said much about what might have been happening in the quaint suburban town.

Dante and Trish both exited out of the back of the limo. A few trick-or-treaters passed by them giving them wide smiles. After the two closed the doors to the limo it slowly pulled away from them being careful not to hit any of the kids on the streets.

Trish looked over at Dante and noticed him 'checking' her over. She smiled coyly at him and said, "Don't get any ideas mister."

Dante turned from her saying positively, "Good to see you're in high spirits. How are you doing? Really Trish?"

"Dante, I'm fine. Really. So stop asking! This is like the hundredth time!"

Dante was watching the kid all run down the street with their little plastic buckets giving a slight shrug of his shoulders, "Hey, I get worried."

Letting out a sigh, Trish asked, "So what are we looking for?"

"Don't know. Morrison wasn't too specific. He did say there was some kind of evil here."

Suddenly, a loud girl's scream came on the air of the night. Dante held Ebony close to his face saying, "Ah-ha. I think we have a winner."

Trish just said pleasantly, "After you, handsome."

Both devil hunters took off down the street. What they found though was nothing short of a major disappointment. It was a small boy standing in front of a suburban home with an empty bucket. He had a somewhat elaborate costume dressed in a white hoodie made up to look like an undead fiend pulling it off nicely.

Though you couldn't tell since he was covered in some kind of red gelatinous ooze. The girl who had screamed was now laughing at the small tyke with a brutish boyfriend around her back inside the house. They were both laughing at the small boy. A white bucket right above the suburban house door with a bit of the red ooze still dripping out of it. They slammed the door in the boy's face as they were still laughing at the distressed little boy.

After they slammed the door he turned around slowly and began to walk away sitting on the corner of the sidewalk still covered in the red ooze. A few kids passed by him pushing him down yelling out as they did, "Nice costume Gibbons, what're you suppose to be? A used tampon?!"

As Dante and Trish approached the small kid they could hear him sobbing to himself. He wore glasses and seemed to be a prime candidate for ridicule, Halloween night or not. Maybe nine or ten years old with a skinny body frame. He removed the hood and took off his glasses producing a small, white tissue to clean his thick, black framed glasses.

Dante and Trish sat on both side of him seeing some of the red slime had gotten in his blonde hair. He looked up at the two oddly dressed adults and asked, "You here to ridicule me too?"

Dante scrapped his finger down the boy's hoodie getting a large glob of the red substance. Trish watched in disgusted as Dante shoved it into his mouth and made a pleasing sound. She sneered asking disgustedly, "What is that stuff?!"

Dante smiled as he took another finger swipe of the stuff jamming it into his mouth, "Hmmm, strawberry filling!"

Rolling her eyes, Trish looked at the kid saying, "He likes strawberry."

The small kid named Gibbons looked at Dante as now he was using two fingers to shovel the red substance into his mouth. "I can tell."

Trish looked back at the house curiously, "Who was that?"

Gibbons had gotten most of the red slime off his glasses as he put them back on. "My older sister."

"Your sister?!" Trish asked surprised. "Her?!" Pointing back at the house.

"The boy looked up at Trish and said, "Yeah. Ever since she started hooking up with these guys, they always talk her into doing stuff to me."

Dante was so engrossed with the strawberry filling that he was barely paying attention. He asked with another big glob of strawberry on his finger, "You seeing anything strange around here, kid? Like evil demons or something?" He poked his finger into his mouth enjoying the tasty gel.

Gibbons thought for a minute and then said in response, "Not really. Of course, I think everyone in this whole town is weird."

Trish's interest was peaked. "What do you mean?"

"All the kids in school pick on me. Every one. Even their parents pick on me." A few tears accumulating in his eyes.

Feeling a bit sorry for the kid, Trish asked, "Why?"

"I don't know."

"What about your parents?"

My dad was killed in the military. He wasn't so bad when he was around. He drank a lot though. He never hit me or made fun of me though. He'd just promise he'd never drink again then days later he was right back to it. My mom…"

Trish gave him the time to answer but he didn't have to. A car pulled up with a slightly heavyset woman in it. Dante was still enjoying the strawberry on the boy's jacket when the woman nearly fell out of the car in anger.

She marched up to Gibbons and grabbed him by the arm. Hauling him away from the demon hunters she cursed the child all the way, "What the hell is wrong with you?! Didn't I tell you not to bug your older sister when she is with her friends?! You know you embarrass us all! God, I really screwed up when I popped you out. I knew I shouldn't have kept you! All you do is embarrass me! Can't even play a single sport. All you do is read those damn books! They'll rot your mind you damn little waste of life! Get in the car!"

She threw the kid inside with Trish getting up from the sidewalk and Dante finally realizing what was going on with his strawberry taken away from him. Trish began to march towards the car with Gibbons looking through the window at her with a sorrowful look on his face as his mother continued on, "Put on a damn seatbelt or don't! God forbid you make my life a little better!"

His mother took off squealing the tires as she took off. Trish stood in the black rubber marks on the street with a sad look on her face. Dante was licking his fingers of the red goop when he said, looking at the street, "You know, its not the fact she's abusive to the kid or the fact that she's probably going to tear the kid's psyche apart, you know what really gets me about her?"

Trish asked depressingly, "What?"

"She took away all that tasty strawberry! Nobody takes my strawberry away from me!"

Smiling a bit, Trish asked with a little hope, "Are we going after her?"

Dante not taking his eyes off the road answered back, "You'd better believe it!"


	19. All Dragoon's Eve: 2

The car sped down the road as the kid was still dripping with the red ooze. His mother looked back and slammed the steering wheel yelling back at him, "Oh, that's just great! I'm going to have to clean that mess completely! You know that won't come out of the upholstery in this car! Damn it, you really are the worst thing in my existence! If I could get rid of you it would be the happiest day in my life!"

Gibbons was use to the verbal punishment when they passed a small shop. One he didn't recognize. He saw a tall man with thin, white hair and a tattered white, beard pointing at a sign reading: OPEN ALL HALLOWEEN NIGHT!

He bounded up asking, "Mom, can we stop here?"

His mother looked at the shop in her rearview and read aloud the store's name, "Barker's Baneful Masks? Yeah, like you could get any uglier?"

"Wouldn't you like to find out? If you let me get a mask I'll just walk home later. You won't have to waste gas coming to get me."

His mother stopped the car and then backed up to the mask shop. She pulled into a parking space as Gibbons got out of the car in a hurry.

"Get one. Here's ten bucks." His mother said counting out the cash. He grabbed it from her happily as she yelled at him, "Try to get something that improves your looks for god sakes!"

He stopped a bit intimidated by the red neon light inside with a thick fog surrounding the shop. It hovered around the building like a transparent cloak. Gibbons swallowed hard as he slowly pushed open the glass door to the store. He let it close slowly behind him as he looked around a bit scared of the late night store.

Taking a few steps he was suddenly stopped by the man with the white hair. He had his hands folded and asked in a raspy but mystifying voice, "What is your pleasure sir?"

"Excuse me?!"

The man outstretched his hands from himself, "Oh, so sorry young man. I'm use to dealing with an older group of customers."

Nervously, Gibbons barely got out, "That's fine. I was just here looking for a mask. Are you mister Barker?"

The store keeper grabbed Gibbon's shoulder and with a point of his index finger to the young boy he said, "Then my good lad, you have come to the right place and yes, some people have called me that. To you though, my good sir, you may call me Professor Keeper."

Out of respect he had learned from his father, he outstretched his hand to shake Prof. Keeper's hand.

The professor extended his hand and then, with a quick gesture of his wrist, had Gibbon's strawberry glazed hoodie off of him. He threw it to the side as Gibbon's shyly asked, "Hey! How did you…"

Before Gibbons could finished, Prof. Keeper had pulled a black leather jacket from out of nowhere with a red t-shirt. In another quick flick of his wrist, the clothes were on Gibbons as the kid was looking at the clothes in shock. He couldn't believe what was happening to him. Then, as if the professor was giving him costume tips, he said, "Blue jeans? Those can stay, it completes the outfit."

Blinking confusingly, Gibbons wanted to say something but Prof. Keeper beat him to it. "I don't know who would do that to such a nice and well-behaved young sir but I'll bet we can find something my shop that'll put the fear of Gibbons in them!"

Hey, that's my nam…"

Before the kid could say another syllable, he was taking him through the store as Gibbons stopped for a moment. Prof. Keeper looked at what the boy was looking at as Gibbons asked, "What is this?" He walked up to the shelf and reached out for the object. "This little golden box with all the weird designs? It looks like this part is for your thumbs." Nearly picking up the golden box with a white circle staring back at him.

Grabbing Gibbon's hand, Prof. Keeper said slyly, "That is not for you. That's for my older customers. Wait about ten more years then come back and see me."

The two walked a little more through the store when Prof. Keeper stopped Gibbons. He picked up a red mask with devil horns and a triangular demon face. Looking at the boy, Prof. Keeper said, "Ohh, now this is perfect for you. The mask of anger!"

Gibbons shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not really into demons. I don't want to look like a devil."

Spinning the mask on his hand, Prof. Keeper put the mask back and said, "Alright. Let's see if we can't find you something else."

It wasn't until the two had reached the back of the store when Gibbons noticed a mask he liked. He walked up to the rubber head a bit entranced with it.

With an evil grin directed at both the boy and the mask, Prof. Keeper bent down to Gibbon's ear height with both hands draped over the boy's shoulders, "The mask of empowerment, good choice sir."

It was a green mask with long ears with big teeth. Looking somewhat like an orc and a goblin mix. It had reddish-haired eyebrows longer than its ears. It teeth were jutting out with its lower jaw overlapping its upper. The teeth on the mask looking like they could shred metal.

Picking up the mask, Gibbons said to the shop keeper, still looking at the mask, "It's almost like he wants to be with me."

Smiling deviously, Prof. Keeper said, "Of course he does. He knows people who need his aid. He has been at it for many years. Ever hear of Genghis Khan?"

"Of course I have he…"

"Let the mask empower you like it did him. Become the one who people fear." Prof. Keeper's words slipping into Gibbon's ears like the harmonious melody of falling rain. "Come on, let it do for you what it did for him. Take the chance Gibbons. You'll become what you've always wanted to be."

Gibbons sort of snickered, "And what is that?"

"Respected. Feared. Honored. Make it happen."

Looking at the mask, Gibbons said to it, "I just want people to respect me. I did nothing to them!"

Prof. Keeper folded his hands with anticipation, "Maybe it's about time."

Gibbon's finally slipped the mask over his head and looked out through the eye holes. He said muffled by the mask, "I don't feel any different."

Black claws stretched from Prof. Keeper's fingers. Grabbing onto Gibbon's shoulders, he turned him around in front of a mirror so he could look at himself. "Give it time child. Let his commanding presence fill you. Let his power surge. Let him begin to take over."

Gibbon's shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever. How much do I owe you?"

A red glow emanated from Prof. Keeper's hands, "You needn't pay anything. It's free. Take it and be god-like!"

Feeling a little different Gibbon's shrugged it off and was about to leave when he changed not even feeling it. Like when a cold breeze is overcome by a warmer one. Gibbons turned around and pushed Prof. Keeper away saying in a completely different tone of voice, "You damn right its free! Otherwise I'd probably take it out of your ass!" The mask not being a mask anymore. The lips moved with Gibbon's mouth. The eyes becoming part of Gibbon's anatomy. The mask's hair becoming his own.

"That's right Gibbons, make them pay homage! Homage to you. Tonight - is all Gibbon's Eve."

Knocking down a shelf or two, Gibbon's yelled out to Prof. Keeper, "My name is not Gibbons! I am Dragoon Riker! All hail to me on All Dragoon's Eve!"

He looked out the window and jumped right through the glass like an enraged animal as Prof. Keeper stood in the frame of the broken window with a big smile on his face. His hands folded in front of him like a pleased congressman.

Gibbon's mother was nearly knocked to the ground by surprise when she looked at Dragoon saying, "Well, I told you to get some mask that made you look better but I guess I can go for same." Saying all this after seeing the child with the living mask on jump through the store's window.

Dragoon walked towards her with purpose. A slight green tint coming over his hands getting rid of any trace Gibbons ever existed. White claws sliced out of his fingers grabbing onto Gibbon's mother by the throat squeezing the life nearly out of her. She fell to her knees and out of Dragoon's mouth came that monstrous voice. Gibbon's voice was somewhere in there but it was slowly and surely disappearing. Blood trickled from Gibbon's mother's throat as Dragoon furiously told her, "All I feel for you is hate! Such a lowly insect of a mortal. You do not deserve to breathe the same air with one such as me! Bow! Bow in the presence of your new god!"

Barely managing a breath under the tight grip of Dragoon, she squeaked out, "Gibbons?! What are you doing?! Don't kill me! Please!"

His grip got tighter as he watched her eyes roll in the back of her head with death clutching onto her soul, "You will live. To see the pain and misery you have wrought upon the world!" He threw her against the car and walked off into the night.

She choked for air as Dante and Trish had finally arrived. Trish helped the woman to her feet though she did it with a sneer on her face. She backed the woman against the car asking, "What happened?!"

Gibberish. The woman could barely make out an audible word. What they did get out of her was the words: Mask. Shop. Gibbons. She was pointing to the building in front of her with a ghastly look on her face.

Dante and Trish looked at the building but it was just a rundown, former general shop. Dante approached the rundown building. He put his hand on the brick composing the building and felt something. Trish felt it too. There had been evil there at one point but now it was gone. They also found a few footprints in the dirt belonging to a boy. Dante had no idea what had happen but he was determined to find out. Walking cockily in the direction of the footprints, Trish followed right alongside.

The woman reached out as she was slumped up next to her car. She asked in a trembling voice, "Don't hurt him!"

Whipping her head to look back at the woman with a bit of lightning zapping through he fingers and eyes. "Now you care?! A little late for that!"

The two demon hunters followed the footprints right back to the suburbs.

* * *

**(A/N: I don't usually tell you guys this because I think it might influence your opinion and that is not what I wanted to do here. Just wanted to let you know that I was up for most of the night working on this chapter and another one that will be uploaded later. Again reviews are most appreciated and I want honesty.)**


	20. All Dragoon's Eve: 3

**(A/N: As you may or may not noticed, I have changed the rating from K+ to T. Because I wanted just a bit more breathing room with the story. I cannot necessarily do that worrying about the atmosphere of the story. Yes, people are going to die and sometimes its going to get very bad for the group. Not everyone is going to be saved in these tales. I thing Gallery Lake proved that. Also, some of the cases' surroundings will be a little more adult and suitable for teenagers and young adults rather than pre-teens. Bars, strip clubs, and other exotic places need a higher rating than K+. That's my feelings anyhow.)**

* * *

Both of them arrived back in the maze of streets that was the suburbs. Three kids in costumes ran past them shouting out, "Look out!"

Dante tore out Ebony & Ivory stacking himself up against a wall just before the entrance of an alleyway. Trish did the same on the other side with Ombra and Luce out. The two expertly swung into the alleyway with the four guns aimed right at a hulking, furry monster. Trish nearly shot when Dante took Ivory and lowered Ombra with it. Dante slyly said, "This isn't what we're looking for."

Flashing him a couple of glances of confusion, Trish went to raise her gun back up when she felt it too. There was mischief a foot but no evil.

The furry creature roared out at them and Dante could tell, with a smile on his face, it was no demon. He walked right up to it with its large arms extended over him, it roared out like a wild bear. Dante shook his head saying, "Knock that crap off!" He swung Ebony back under his coat and tore the big man's mask right off his head. He threw it at the large man saying, "Going around like a large monster, scaring the crap out of little kids on a night the cops are crawling all over? Good way to get shot, pal."

The big man in the costume shook his hands in innocence, "Hey man, it was just a goof! I wasn't going to hurt'em! It's Halloween! Everyone's entitled to a good scare."

Trish came up next to Dante. The red-coated demon slayer looked at his voluptuous partner. "Think we should do the police a favor and just shoot him now?" Ivory coming right up to the man's forehead.

Trish raised her two guns cocking back the hammers, "I think it would be a disservice not to."

Dante's eyes glared at the large man, "Yeah!"

The man's legs trembled with him barely edging out, "Oh come on now, you wouldn't really shoot me, would you?"

Dante had a slick, twisted, evil smile cross his face with Ivory pressed against the man's forehead, "A guy dressed in some ugly costume scaring kids half to death? I'm going to cap you twice just to make sure your dead!"

Grimacing with fright, the tall guy ran away from the two hunters in a panicked run, "No! They're going to kill me!" He tripped over the adjacent sidewalk running from the two expert devil slayers.

Trish nodded her head to Dante as he tucked Ivory back under his coat, "You really weren't going to shoot him, were you?"

Dante looked at her wildly, "What?! And waste a bullet?! You should know me better than that."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I would have."

The two exited the alleyway onto another street. They weren't really sure what they were looking for but then they saw something that ended their search real quick.

A boy similar to Gibbon's build wearing a very detailed green mask was walking up the street about thirty feet from them. He had on a black jacket and his hands were green with white, panther-like claws. Dante shifted his head from the boy curiously as he watched him fling several children out of his way with just the twitch of his arm. He sensed the evil emanating off of him as Trish's flesh grew cold. She barely asked, "That can't be him, can it Dante?!"

Twisting his neck, Dante removed Rebellion from his back telling Trish, "He's possessed. There's only one way to stop this kind of possession."

Dragoon opened his mouth as a red fog poured from his open maw, sliding over his teeth like mist over gravestones. He saw Dante coming towards him at a brisk pace as he angrily asked with that red mist flowing from his mouth, "Who dares challenge me?!"

Dante stopped, taking a step forward, looking around at the houses on either side of the street being his usual, animated self, "I didn't see a bucket in your hand so I though you'd have a whole stash somewhere. Thought I'd ask you where it was before - you know -" Dante finished while looking at Rebellion, "making sure you never saw it again."

Cocking a smile, Dragoon retorted, "And you might be?"

"Names Dante and uh that kid you've taken possession of - he's off limits."

"What kid?" Dragoon asked. "I am Dragoon Riker and you are in my way, Dachshund."

Trish took a step towards Dragoon with her sword shifting a bit on her back. "His name is Dante and you have taken possession of a kid in the wrong town."

Clicking his white claws together, Dragoon whispered out getting louder with every word, "There's that word again. Possession? I haven't possessed anyone or anything! I am Dragoon Riker! Bringer of lamentation to legions!" Extending both his arms outward, "Welcome you pitiful mortals to All Dragoon's Eve!"

Dante swung his sword pointing the tip at Dragoon, "Yeah, come out of that boy's body you'll see how much havoc I can cause on Halloween!"

Dragoon snarled at Dante closing his fist tightly, "You bore me! Anyone who wouldn't listen to what a conqueror like me has to say, is a fool asking for a good evisceration!"

Swinging his sword back, Dante went right for the mask but Dragoon raised his hand and Dante was stopped in midair. He had his sword still wound back but he wasn't going anywhere. He looked around, stunned by the power of the demon, as he was lifted right off the ground by one hand. Dragoon gave him a slightly evil smile with a bit of a snarl. He threw out his hand and Dante was sent flying away from Dragoon into a house busting through the wall landing feet up in a large screen TV. A few sparks shot out as Dante picked himself up shaking off some of the glass. He ran his hand through his hair with shards of glass falling on the floor. He looked over to his right seeing a family with wide mouths open on a couch. Getting ready to walk back out into the street, Dante looked back at the family and tossed the 'still-as-a-statue' family a small, white card. He said, "Call that number to cover the damages." The family watched him with wide mouths walk out the hole he had been thrown through as the daughter picked up the card with Morrison's number on it.

Trish stood ready with the Sparda unsheathed. She spun it in front of her and went after the kid and he just stood there with a look of eagerness. He then grabbed the sword by the blade with just his thumb and forefinger. Struggling to get the blade back, Trish sent a charge of energy down the sword and shocked Dragoon right off the blade. Thrown back by the voltage he landed on his back but quicker than Dante and Trish could believe, he was back on his feet with a tug on his black jacket and a swivel of his neck. He showed his teeth with red mist coming out of his mouth, "Is that the best you got?! Hell, I can do that."

Throwing his hands outward with fingers out stretched, over several red bolts of lightning traveled out violently and hit Trish sending her flying back twenty feet making her landed on the road hard as he kept up the attack. Walking towards her, Dragoon was yelling at her, "Not a bad attack witch but you are no mach for a war wizard like me!"

Dante ran at Dragoon with the Rebellion swung back, "Let's see you stop this one!"

Lowering his brow in annoyance, Dragoon said under his breath, "Gladly." Swinging one of his hands towards Dante he caught him in a storm of red energy bringing the devil hunter to his knees. Dante nearly dropped his sword in pain never feeling such power in his life. Dragoon had taken him right down and was keeping him there. He had Trish trapped with the other hand. Both devil hunters at Dragoon's mercy.

Laughing at the two, Dragoon said with a smile, "This is fantastic! Who could have foreseen me; Gibbons, a towering powerhouse?! Every night will be All Dragoon's Eve now! Nobody will be safe! It's time for me to take my place as the ruler of these pathetic people!"

Dante whipped his head upward at Dragoon with a slight sneer. He slammed Rebellion deep into the ground channeling all of the red lightning into the blade and then swiped it away from himself discarding all the energy still bolting after him. A small trickle of blood came from the corner of his mouth. Dante stood up with purpose. He calmly said, "Not as long as I live and breath."

Dragoon released his electric grip on Trish and shifted his head over to Dante. He smiled slightly saying, "Then we shall have to fix that!" He hovered off the ground with his feet relieved of his weight. He floated about a foot off the ground with large bolts of lightning coming from his hands. They spread out like electric wings of an eagle, lighting up the entire neighborhood an eerie, dark red.

Dante's eyes jumped about wildly in confusion. "This is definitely not a normal possession!"

Smiling, Dragoon said, "I use to be Gibbons. Defeated, lost, alone, pathetic Gibbons. Now, I am Dragoon Riker! Fast, furious, agile, and powerful. With new powers comes a new moniker." He sent out a blast of lightning at Dante knocking him down to one knee. Dante kept a tight grip on his sword as he looked up at the creature hovering above him.

Dragoon continued on. "Everyone I bowed to. Now, everyone will bow to me!"

Spitting out some blood on the ground, Dante looked at Dragoon furiously with a surge of power of his own. "Kid, you're really starting to get on my nerves!"

Suddenly, a bright, yellow light hit Dragoon nearly bring him out of the air. He twisted his head towards Trish who was breathing heavily. She sent out another surge of her own energy at him but he batted it away as easily as batting away a large cotton ball.

He swung his body towards Trish and hovered down to the ground. Walking towards her with a calm anger as he flexed his clawed fingers. He tried to grab her by the throat but both her and Dante swung their swords for him hoping to at least get the mask. Dragoon caught both of them though and twisted them away from him. Both hunters fell to the ground by the force.

First to their feet was Dante helping Trish to her feet. The both of them were about to attack again when two police cars showed up. The two cruisers had their sirens blaring and their lights flashing all over the street. The two police cars stopped right behind Dragoon with four officers exiting the cruisers, professionally taking cover behind the open doors of the cars. Their pistols pointed right at the three. One cop yelled out, "Drop your weapons now! Drop them!"

Turning his head slowly towards the officers, Dragoon whispered softly to himself, "Ah, more toys for me to play with."

Dante flung his arm at the cops, "Get out of here! You don't know what your up against!"

One of the police yelled at them, "Damn it, he said drop your weapons! Do it now!"

Dragoon looked at his hands. "I can't seem to do that officer. They seem to be attached to me."

Another one of the officers said, "Son, this isn't a joke. Party's over."

Dragoon smiled wide. "Oh no! Party's just getting started!"

Dante tried again, "Get out of there now!"

It was too late. Dragoon threw out his hand and knocked one of the cruisers over onto its roof. The officers behind its doors fell down with it nearly being crushed by the car. They were okay but one of them was hobbling because he had twisted his ankle. The officer on the other side came to his aid helping him to one of the houses on the street.

The next cruiser, Dragoon flipped into the air like a domino piece and watched in excitement as it flew into the air. It landed on its wheels blowing out the tires, collapsing the engine, destroying the roof and head lights, and buckling the entire frame of the police car. The two officers were frozen by fear in their cover positions barely avoiding being crushed by the flipped vehicle. They looked at each other with pistols in hand, the one saying to the other, "Man, lets get out of here!" Not needing to be told twice, the two officers ran down the street fleeing for their lives.

Turning his head back to the two devil hunters, Dragoon asked, "Now, where were we?"

Trish tilted her head towards Dante, "Keep him busy." She then took off for the closest house.

Dante yelled out, "Where are you going?"

"To make a call."

Dante sheathed Rebellion and pulled his two guns. The monochrome guns staring down the demon child as he just extended out his arms. He motioned Dante to shoot him saying, "Come on pal! You look like you belong at rocking parties. Lets make this one to be remembered!"

Dante ran at Dragoon firing Ebony and Ivory like mad. Dragoon flew off to the side and blocked the bullets from him just with his hands.

Meanwhile, Trish flew into a house and looked at a mother who was hugging her children, protecting them from the violence outside. She saw the two cops from earlier taking cover. They seemed to be a little more worried about themselves than protecting the family. She walked right up to the mother asking politely, "May I use your phone?"

She handed Trish a square Smartphone and she called Morrison. Morrison's voice came over the phone as he asked, "Trish, what is it?"

"I have - wait! How did you know it was me?"

"I have ways Trish now what is it?"

"Dante and me found a poor boy and I think he's possessed by a demon."

"Possession huh? The demon reveal itself yet?"

"Revealed itself?"

"Yeah, told you its name?"

"Dragoon Riker."

Trish heard some typing on the keyboard of Morrison's laptop over the phone. "I got nothing Trish. You sure it's a possession?"

"Yeah, he's giving both me and Dante a fight. Its got to be a powerful demon trapped in that mask."

"Mask? Not unless it's an Coaxan relic."

"What's a Coaxan relic?"

"A Coaxan relic is a relic that gives power to its user. For good or evil. My guess is evil. So if it is an Coaxan relic, it's still the boy but he's just being influenced."

"So it not a possession."

"If it is an Coaxan relic they're very rare. I only know of a few. A mask? One of the few people who I know of that wore a mask, and it was an Coaxan relic, was Genghis Khan. Trish -"

"Still here Morrison."

"Don't let Dante Trigger!"

Hearing a loud chink followed by a bright, red light; Trish went to the window of the house looking outside. Trish just said solemnly into the phone, "I think it's a bit late for that Morrison."


	21. All Dragoon's Eve: 4

Firing away with his two handguns, Dante got close to Dragoon and got in three shots out of all the ones he fired. Dragoon's face bled a black ooze but quickly healed faster than any demon Dante had ever seen hurt by his guns. That even included a few overpowered ones.

He got up close and went at Dragoon with his sword holstering Ebony and Ivory. Dragoon just backhanded the sword blade away as Dante took another swing. Again, it was backhanded away with the masked evil growling at Dante, locking his hand around the demon slayer's throat. Dante went for a stab with his sword but it was knocked away from him flying out of his grasp.

Hoisting Dante off the ground, Dragoon leered at Dante tossing him to the ground making his body leave a small trench in the road. Dante was slow to get up but by the time he was already to his feet, Dragoon raised up his hands and bright fissures of red light sprouted across the road. As if he was about to send Dante all the way to Hell.

Stumbling a bit, Dante spit out a bit of blood. Angered more than hurt, walking over to Rebellion, picking up the sword sluggishly, he held it up and went after Dragoon again who then formed this green, shinning blade of his own right from his hand. Rebellion slashed downward and chinked right off the green colored blade. Sparks flew as Dante nearly fell to the ground. He looked back at Dragoon who retracted the blade back into his hand as he laughed at the demon slayer, "First time meeting anyone this powerful? Or are you just giving up?"

Dante let out a slight laugh, "Neither actually. Just getting a feel for you. Testing the waters a bit, you might say. Ready for the deep end?"

"What?" Dragoon asked cocking his head.

Before he could figure out what Dante meant by that, the red-coated slayer was charging for him as Dragoon rolled his eyes letting out this huge, powerful blast of force like an invisible train engine.

Spinning Rebellion above his head, Dante slashed right through the force cutting through it as easily as a piece of paper. The separated wall of energy spilt in two, flying past the slayer, impacting the ground beyond, and blowing apart several lawns behind the two demon empowered combatants.

Dragoon was a little shocked by this. He sent out another, smaller wave of energy as Dante cut that one apart as well. His blade leaving a large gash in Dragoon's face. Dante rolled from the force of his weapon coming to his feet in style behind his opponent.

Twisting his head, Dragoon let out a loud roar and he put his hand to his cut face easily having it heal. He dug his claws into his fist and clawed out against Dante but it missed as Dante rolled forward coming to his feet in front of Dragoon. A wicked smile crossing his face.

Sneering, Dragoon growled racing up to the demon slayer grabbing his sword with his hand by the blade. Dante slashed at him but the blade nearly did no damage to the demon as the two were at a standstill. Dante's eyes staring intensely at Dragoon's. They began to glow red as so did Dante's. The two suddenly pushed off of each other flying away from the other stopping nearly twenty feet from themselves.

Tugging on his coat, Dante reached back with his sword and let loose with it spinning the sword like a Frisbee. The weapon spun through the air as Dragoon flipped his hand twice growing these huge, foot long claws from his hand. He slashed the sword with the long claws flinging Rebellion right back at Dante. The demon slayer was more than ready catching the spinning sword by the hilt, spinning his body along with it to catch it.

Returning the sword to his back and pulling his guns, Dante fired several times at Dragoon as the demon let out a belting roar of sonic suppression. The bullets hitting an invisible wall of sound. It even brought Dante to a grinding halt on one knee. He was quickly back up though running across several lawns firing in rapid succession, circling around Dragoon, trying to get to his back. Keeping his eyes on the demon slayer, Dragoon put up a wall of energy up blocking every bullet.

Returning the guns, Dante sliced out Rebellion spinning at Dragoon with a slash but Dragoon grabbed the sword and threw it to the ground. One of Dante's guns came up but Dragoon made short work of that too. Ebony falling to the ground with Ivory coming out next.

The two were eye-to-eye as the both were locked. Dragoon grabbed Dante by the wrists and let out this red voltage shocking the demon slayer to his knees. Dante yelled out in pain and Dragoon sneered with pride having finally caught the demon slayer as he said to the seizing warrior, "Get out of this one!"

Dante struggled and stood on his feet against the pain. He tried to pull away as the red bolts ran through his body. He felt his muscles exploding and he gritted his teeth. He tried to use his feet digging his boots into the tar of the road but nothing worked. He felt his life starting to slip away. He looked around at the houses knowing his couldn't Trigger here. He pulled as hard as he could but Dragoon refused to let go.

Cocking his head, Dragoon opened his mouth straining to open it as wide as he could. Dante watched in disgust as this bug-like creature crawled out of his mouth proceeded by that red mist from earlier.

Dante was trying desperately to keep his other side under control. He could feel it rising to the surface. Like a beast in a cage. It was clawing at the surface wanting to get out. The pain was getting to be excruciating as he felt his other side, his demon side, starting to Trigger.

The bug from Dragoon's mouth latched onto the side of Dante's face and he felt an acidic liquid spilling on his face eating away at the flesh. Gritting his teeth he looked around seeing the suburban houses. Red light was beginning to emanate from his eyes again.

Then, he felt a sharp, excruciating pain from his stomach. He looked down with half of his face melted off. Dragoon had shoved that green blade through his stomach and then retracted the slug back into his mouth slamming Dante's body right into the street, stabbing him five more times, spilling the slayer's blood all over the ground. He inched in close to Dante snarling with his sharp teeth drooling. "You are one dead pretty boy. I promise after I'm done with you, I'm going to go after that cute blonde girlfriend of yours."

Suddenly, Dante exploded with power. The street along with the ground itself rippled with the explosion of power. Dragoon was knocked back from Dante as he was quick to his feet. He looked at Dante in surprise not recognizing him.

Dante had Devil Triggered. He stood up outstretching his fingers adorned with thick, black claws looking like serrated blades made of volcanic glass. There were cracks in them with reddish light flowing through them like lava. A red aura circulated around him brightening up the entire neighborhood with sparks of power snapping inside of it. Huge, bat-like wings outstretched from his back flapping at Dragoon as if they were angry dogs wanting to feast on the maniacal demon's flesh. A rush of wind came from them with Dragoon putting up his hand to shield his face from the wings. Dante's eyes burning red with power. His clothes had become part of his body forming his skin. Black and red scales covered his body with two coattails in back that writhed around like evil sentinels.

Devil Triggered Dante circled around Dragoon slowly picking up Rebellion. It disappeared into his back as it sucked into his body disappearing into him and his wings. He then grabbed Ebony and spun out Ivory in his hand. The two handguns sunk into his scaly flesh becoming one with him.

Dragoon twisted his head at the apparent demon and then wrapped his fingers together cracking his knuckles. "Well, isn't this fascinating. You're still a dead man!"

Dante growled at Dragoon with his sharp, silver teeth lining his mouth. A dark mist pouring from his maw. His arm then transformed into a huge blade and he went at Dragoon roaring and charging like a phoenix.


	22. All Dragoon's Eve: 5

On one side of the street, Dante's partner now saw the evil looking demon Dante had transformed into.

"Trish?" Morrison asked on the other end of the Smartphone.

She turned her head not really liking Dante in Devil Triggered form. It meant that everyone was now expendable or so she thought.

"Trish?!" Morrison yelled out.

She put the phone back to her ear, "I'm still here."

"There's only one way to stop a Coaxan relic. You have to convince the user to stop it themselves. Even if Dante is in that crazy state of his, he won't be able to defeat it. The user has to stop. There's no other way."

"Stop it from controlling him?"

"It's not really an issue of control. It's just feeding on his darkest desires. You have to convince the kid that the mask has to come off."

"How do I do that Morrison?! I mean he's been tortured and bullied all of his life! I feel so bad for him."

"You're going to have to come up with something Trish, otherwise there's only one other option and I don't think you're going to like it."

"What?"

"You would have to kill the boy."

"No!"

"Then get him to take the mask off. Talk to him, appeal to his humanity somehow. If he has any left."

Trish hit the red button on the touch screen and threw it back to the woman shielding her kids. The cops still had their guns drawn as they watched Trish walk out of the house quietly.

She entered a war zone watching the two demons tangle. Dante slashed at Dragoon with his black claws while Dragoon sliced at him with that green transformed blade of his. The both of them taking slash after slash at each other. Dragoon slicing away while Dante grabbed the blade itself and made one of his own trying to stab Dragoon. The demon sliding away avoiding the jab from Dante's sword.

Taking more swings at the demon's neck, Dante roared out against Dragoon as the monster backed away from Dante. He went onto a lawn as Dante grabbed Dragoon by his arm and growled out for his blood. Dragoon tried to get away but Dante's strength was immense since last they fought when Dante was in his human form. Grabbing Dragoon's throat, Dante lifted Dragoon off of his feet with his sharp, long, monstrous teeth of silver staring him down. He then threw the masked demon to the side sending him through a wooden fence. Dragoon rolled through the wood and smashed through a few lawn decorations of porcelain.

Quick to his feet, Dragoon hovered back up with a snarl crossing his face. He threw out his hand in anger against a house next to him. The entire front side of the house was blown away. Pieces of siding, wood chips, and a bit of stone flew into the house sending the family inside fleeing. Snarling, Dragoon lowered his hand to his side as Dante charged him.

He had his sword wound back and went for Dragoon's neck but the demon was fast and ducked underneath the swing brining up his own blade. He cut Dante from his chest to his chin making the Devil Triggered Dante fly off to the side landing on one knee in a pose of readiness. Dragoon swung back ready to cut the demon looking demon slayer in half but all his green blade caught was Dante's black, obsidian looking blade. Dante stood up with Dragoon struggling against the might of the son of Sparda.

That was when Trish walked towards Dragoon with her arms out, pleading, "I know you're in there somewhere."

Dragoon flashed her a look as he struggled with Dante. Barring his teeth he growled at her taking his concentration from Dante only for a second.

Trish went on trying to appeal to him, "This isn't you. I know from the first time we met."

Dante spared a look at Trish with his intense demon eyes. He whispered out with his voice sounding more like a demon's than a human's, "Trish! What are you doing?!" Dante had over powered Dragoon and knocked him to the ground where he tried twice to slice him in half. Getting back up, Dragoon sent out an energy wave and knocked Dante into another yard. He tried to get up but Dragoon came around with his blade at Dante's throat. Dante grabbed the green blade with both hands and got to his feet struggling to keep the sword from his throat.

Trish was still approaching, "You care about these people. You may not want to show it but I know you do. You care about all of them. You can't help but to. You're a good guy, I feel it."

Looking at Trish, Dragoon hissed out, "Being a good guy is overrated."

Dante got out of Dragoon's bladed hold and slammed his skull into Dragoon's. The demon was sent nearly ten feet back as Dante formed his blade back into his hand and held up both of them, palms open. Bright bursts came from them as streams of lead were sprayed at Dragoon. Every bullet hit their mark as Dragoon was nearly torn to pieces by the onslaught of demonized bullets. He was sent to the ground with his wounds already starting to heal. He couldn't really breathe as he rapidly tried to get air.

Folding in his fingers, racking his black claws over his red and black scales, Dante took a long stride over to Dragoon and picked him up by the collar of his leather jacket. He dug his claws into the side of Dragoon's green face peeling away skin having black blood spray the ground. Dragoon roared out in pain as Dante snickered in delight. His demonic slit eyes enjoying watching Dragoon's suffering.

Trish ran up to the both of them saying to the two, "Please, no more pain. It doesn't have to be this way. People are naturally good. A friend taught me that once"

Dante looked over at his partner, his slit eyes thinning, "He's a demon now. Only one way to handle him!" He threw him through the side of a house with Dragoon blasting through the outside wall and rocketing through to the other side, plowing through a small brick wall separating a backyard garden. Dante, in demon form, waked right through the house giving a casual glance to the people inside. Two small boys sitting on a couch with their hands on video game controllers. Trish followed behind her irate partner having to watch her step over the debris left by the propelled demon.

Shaking his head, Dragoon stood up with his face bleeding, his gut full of holes, and his temper slowly rising. He saw DT Dante come through the hole and opening his fists at him. There was a quick flash of bright light as more of Dante's demon slaying bullets were sent into him turning him into a convulsing pile of flesh.

Pushing past Dante, Trish went to Dragoon's side as he spit up a bit of his own blood. He was slowly healing as Dante stopped his barrage not wanting to hit Trish. She picked up Dragoon's head and said to him, "Take off the mask, Gibbons."

Dragoon looked at her with sadness in his eyes as he quickly healed. "I wish I could hide it."

She smiled a bit as she held his head on one knee treating him like a wounded soldier. Dante came around the side with his palms pointed right at him with Trish saying to Dragoon, "I kind of do this stuff for living. It's my job to know these kind of things. And what I see is a tortured boy looking for just a little peace. Just a little forgiveness."

Dragoon growled a bit. "I just wanted power!" Closing his fist tightly. Admiring his sharp claws. "Look at me! Before I was just plain old Gibbons. Now, I'm Dragoon Riker! I could rule the world if I wanted to!"

Trish touched his head. The slimy cold skin of the mask was still present but it was getting warmer by the moment. The mask still hadn't taken over completely. It was still in the process of melding with its host. "You don't need to be a monster to get people to respect you. Some people, yes. There are quite a few people out there who only bend to violence. It's the only way they learn. But there are people out there who respect the good and decent - people like me."

Dante snarled out watching Dragoon closely. He wanted him to make a move. What Trish was saying was slightly true but he preferred to handle this demon his way. He wasn't sure if there was an innocent boy under there anymore. It could just be a trick Dragoon was using.

Looking at the grass of the backyard, Dragoon said, "I wish I had met you earlier. Its good people like you exist -" He looked back at Trish, "I'll try to avoid killing them later!"

A surge of energy blasted out of Dragoon sending both demon hunters flying backwards. Dante caught Trish in midair and they both landed rolling like discarded trash back onto the main street. Trist had a few scraps while Dante stood unscathed. Trish got up with her partner as looking back at the house Dragoon had gone through. He walked out with this aura of green energy around him. He was breathing heavily and pointed at the two, "Welcome the ruler of this world and its me. Everyone in this entire world will learn to respect Dragoon Riker."

Dante stepped in front of Trish holding her back with his red-scaled arm. He said in his demonic sounding voice to Dragoon, "Respect is earned. Fight as hard as you want the only thing you'll get from me is a face full of my sword!"

The two went at each other as the two tried to punch the other but getting blasted away from the sheer force of both of their powers. Dragoon was sent into the street leaving a trail of destroyed road in his wake. Dante slammed into a police cruiser sending both the car and his body flying with it. Both landing hard on the pavement of small suburban street.

A few flashes of pain hit Dragoon's back as he pulled himself up from the dirt in the road. He walked out of the self-made trench and walked towards Dante and the wrecked cruiser. Dante peeled himself from the metal cage he was in from the mutilated police car. He bent steel and got up to his feet with Trish heading towards him. She asked her monstrous looking partner, "Are you alright?"

Dante shook his head trying to get some of the cobwebs out of his head, "He's tough. Got to give him that." He then grabbed Trish by the shoulders and flew her over to another house. She said, "Dante!"

He looked at her with those black and red slit eyes, "You tried it your way, now we're going to do it mine!"

"You'd have to kill him!"

He snarled looking back at Dragoon, "I know." He flew off to confront the demon leaving Trish reaching out to him. Her powers were useless against such a powerful entity. She wasn't sure if she wanted to use them anyway. She didn't want to kill the boy. There had to be some way to get that mask off of him. That's what she thought as she just watched the two monsters clash one more time.

Flying in for the kill, Dante transformed both of his arms into black blades charging for Dragoon. Dragoon hovered into the air and sent out a blast of energy. Dante sliced it away charging for the powerful demon. Again, another powerful blast from Dragoon as he too had two green blades burst from his arms gearing for Dante's inventible attack. Dante charged through the second energy wave and went to plant one of those blades deep in Dragoon's chest. The new ruler was ready though as he blocked the initial attack.

Roaring, Dante began slicing with fury at Dragoon as he defended against the demon looking Dante. Dante was pushing Dragoon back down the street as both fought in the air about three feet above the wrecked road.

His two green blades were flying around trying to block Dante's blades as finally Dante landed a blow sending one of his black blades deep into Dragoon's shoulder. A blast of black blood came from the wound as Dante growled in Dragoon's face plunging his second blade in the other shoulder of Dragoon, lifting him up on the two blades. Dragoon had that bug come out of his mouth but Dante looked at it with hatred saying, "Trying the same move twice? Rookie mistake!" He flew upwards with Dragoon impaled and then back down towards the ground at jet-like speeds.

The two slammed into the ground blasting up a large plume of dust and tar riddled debris. A large crater was made in the ground with them being alone in the dust. Both of them were exhausted as Dante ripped the two blades from his shoulders. He arms transformed back and he reached both of the back with his claws ready to tear into something.

Dragoon looked up and said, "Go ahead, if I can't be respected than I would rather die. Pull my heart from my chest, rip my head off! Do it!"

Snarling with black mist pouring out of his mouth, Dante said, "I'm not going to rip your head off." He slammed his claws into both sides of Dragoon's face, plunging deep into Dragoon's head just in front of his ears. A spurt of black blood came from the wounds as Dante began pulling back. "I'm going to pull your face off!"

Dante struggled with him as Dragoon tried almost everything to get him off. He was stuck under Dante as he tried desperately to pull his face right off. Dragoon roared out as green lightning began to come form his body. He wasn't alone as Dante too began to surge with power. The both of them clashing with each other as the two powers clashed with each other.

On the outside of the smoke and debris, people and Trish were gathering around the large column of smoke as green and red lights began to swirl inside the column. Trish could feel the power inside as beams of light began to burst out of the column like lasers. Roars and growling could be heard making the people retract back but not walk away from the dangerous area.

Inside, Dante roared out as he pulled with all his might to tear the mask right off the kid. Dragoon roared out feeling his power slipping and death imminent. His green skin on his head began to pull from the skull as green bright light expelled from the ripping flesh. Soon, Dante was feeling the flesh coming off as he stood on one leg gaining more leverage feeling Dragoon's power struggling against him.

A sudden burst of green light came as he was blasted away and sent through the column of smoke and debris. He landed on a lawn back in his human form. He rolled over looking at the limp flesh in his hand. It was Dragoon's face. The skin in his hand disappeared into green ash and he looked back at the smoking rubble as Trish came to his side. She asked, "Are you okay?"

Dante looked back at her with those blue eyes of his and white hair, "I am but I don't know if he is." Motioning back at the dissipating smoke. Trish looked towards the column and ran over to it as it began to fade away. Dante came up behind her and both looked down into the hole.

There was Gibbons. He had black blood over his face but the black jacket and re t-shirt he had previously as Dragoon was gone. He was wearing his hoodie again and seemed to unconscious. Trish slid down into the hole with Dante at her side. She walked over to the injured boy and wrapped her arms around him. She waited for a sign of life. Anything to quell her fears.

Gibbons blinked a bit and took in a big breathe. He then looked up at Trish who had a huge smile on her face. He looked over at Dante who had a cocky smirk as he said, "Welcome back to the human side, kid."

Gibbons barely managed to get out, "I'm sorry."

Trish looked at him with questioning eyes, "For what?"

"That mask - it didn't make me do anything. I was mostly in control. I did such evil things. I didn't want to hurt anybody, I just wanted them to recognize me."

Helping Gibbons up to his feet, Trish said, "It's alright. Nobody got hurt."

Making an irritated sound, Dante corrected, "Speak for yourself! You beat me down pretty good, kid."

Trish just gave Dante a flash of annoyance. She then went back to Gibbons tending the boy as they walked out of the hole, "Are you okay?"

Gibbons with his head hung low answered, "Yeah, I guess I'm okay. I still got to go home."

With a slight smile, Dante said, "Oh I don't think they'll be treating you quite the same way. Your mother at least. You scared her pretty good while you were Dragoon."

A slight smile came over Gibbons, "I just wish my sister was the same way."

Walking behind the boy with Trish in front having her arm draped over the boy's shoulder, Dante came up behind Gibbons, saying into his ear, "I think I got an idea to handle your sister. After all, its like that one guy said to us tonight, 'everyone's entitled to a good scare'."

* * *

Gibbon's sister was eating nachos at a table with her brutish boyfriend when the doorbell rang. They both looked over as the sister said, "Damn it, if it's that little jerk again I'm going to do more than just spill strawberry jam on him!"

The boyfriend got up saying, "I'll handle the little waste." He walked to the door pulling on his college football jacket and opening the door harshly, "Alright you little bas -"

In the door was a demon of red and black scales. Fire nearly burning in its eyes with a red aura around it. It grabbed the jock by the throat nearly cutting him with its black serrated claws, lifting him off the ground. In a low, bellowing voice it said, "Let's rock, jock!"

The boyfriend tried to scream but all that came out was just a low tone whisper.

Gibbon's sister threw the nachos on the floor screaming at the top of her lungs, rushing for the back patio door. She nearly made it as suddenly bolts of yellow lightning crashed through the glass as a woman in black leather floated in riding the lightning. She stepped onto the carpet and pulled her sword on her back. It became like a scythe as the lightning woman slammed the blade right in behind the sister's head trapping her. The black leather dressed woman said seductively and devilishly, "Leaving us so soon?"

The demon with red scales brought the boyfriend over next to the sister who was still trapped by the scythe. The demon slammed him into the wall leaving a bit of cracks in the plaster. It leaned in on both of them with the woman coming around, having lightning bolts flashing in her eyes. The demon scowled, saying as if his voice came from the depths of Hell itself, "We're going to tear your souls apart!"

The two trapped people looked at each other and then screamed at the top of their lungs as Gibbons came racing in the doorway. He looked at the four with frightened eyes. He swallowed hard as his sister pleaded with her little brother, "Gibbons! Help us please!"

He swallowed hard and walked over to the demon saying in the biggest voice he could muster, "Go away foul beasts! You will get no solace from me!"

The demon dropped the boyfriend and backed away from the small boy. "You don't have power here, kid! I'll roast you alive!"

Gibbons puffed out his chest, "Take a hike you murderous foul creature or I shall show you the might of a true demon hunter!"

The lady in black leather grabbed the demon's arm while pulling her sword/scythe from the wall, "Come on, lets go! That's Gibbons! You know what kind of demon hunter he is?!"

The demon and the lady both exited the house with the demon looking back, pointing a single black claw at Gibbons, "Don't get too cocky. You haven't seen the last of us." The two then disappeared out of sight through the broken patio door.

Reaching down with an open, helping hand, Gibbon's asked his older sister, "Are you okay?"

His sister reached up in shock and then hugged her baby brother. She started crying as her boyfriend patted Gibbons on the head, "Wow! That was something kiddo! You sure saved our bacon there!"

Gibbons smiled and then looked at the card Dante had given him with Morrison's number on it. On the back was written:

_If you ever need us again, don't be afraid to give us a call._

_Happy Halloween!_

* * *

**(A/N: Almost the Witching Hour by the time I upload this. I though it was appropriate. That's it on this one and I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know though, was it good, was it bad? Did it really give you the feel of Halloween or was -eh- just another case whatever, good job, I guess? Let me know whichever way you felt. Happy Halloween to all of you!)**


	23. The Grither: 1

The snow cascaded down over the windshield as the wipers did little to clear it. Vergil was in the driver seat of the rental car while Dante sat quietly in the passenger side. The heater wasn't on as neither devil kin was effected by the cold. Vergil took solace in the ice that seemed to be forming in his lungs. Dante was less than ecstatic about it. The cold still didn't effect him though as they drove towards the small Washington state town.

Taking a couple quick glances at his brother, Dante finally said loudly, "Are you even going to talk to me?!"

Sitting quietly, Vergil concentrated on the near nonexistent road as all he saw was nothing but just a blanket of white. He took a few casual glances at his brother but nothing more. His hard stair and white hair aimed at the road. Silence filling the car.

Shifting in his seat, rolling his eyes, Dante said, "You know, it December 24th?"

"And?" Vergil said, with a sneer on his face.

"It Christmas Eve, bro! What'd you get me?"

"Same thing you got me last year."

"Oh yeah, I got you a - no - wait - I got that for Nero. Oh, I remember, I got you a - no - I got that for Morrison. Oh yeah, It was a - no - I gave that to Trish. I don't know why I thought I got you that!"

"Nothing. You got me nothing."

Making a slight laugh, Dante said sarcastically, "Well, its not like I got money to splash around, you greedy son of…"

"Yeah, because you never have money for strawberry sundaes, pizza, or those little, pizza hot-pocket things you buy. What'd you eat, like 40 of those things in a day? No wonder Morrison has to support you."

"He doesn't support me."

"How much money do you owe him?"

Dante laughed, "I lost count like three years ago!"

"Yeah, my point exactly."

"Well, this year's going to be different bro. I'm going to get you something. Don't know what yet." Dante said, sliding down in his seat for a nap.

Loosing a bit of control on the steering wheel but regaining it quickly, Vergil said, "Yeah right."

"Nope I'm serious, I'm getting you something."

The car was silent for another forty minutes until Vergil asked of Dante, "Go over it one more time."

With a slight jump and a bit of an aggravated sound, Dante asked, "Really?! I was just starting to drift off!"

"Sorry Sleeping Beauty. When the prince comes I'll wake you."

"Princess." Dante corrected.

"Is that what he likes to be called?"

"I don't know, he talk about you all the time."

"Grab the file!"

Grabbing a vanilla folder off the dashboard stamped in big red letters SECRET, Dante flipped it open, turning a few sheets in the file folder, "Okay. At the behest - whatever that means?"

Vergil sighed, "It mean we were invited."

"Oh, why didn't they just say that?"

"Read the file Dante!"

"At the '_behest'_ of the United States government, your services are requested for a domestic operation - yaddah - yaddah - blah - blah - blah. Ah here we go. The town of Surulec, Washington has been legally 'blacked-out'. You know what that means?"

Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, Vergil whispered out, "Yeah."

"Lockdown. No one in or out. Ex-comunicato. Never thought I'd hear the words 'blacked-out' again."

"Go on."

"We are to meet a Colonel Klink." Dante thought about the name. "Is that suppose to be funny?"

"It's probably a code title."

"Somebody must've really hated him to give him that code."

"What else does it say?"

"Your mission status will be given upon time of arrival."

"Don't they mean briefing?"

A melancholy sound escaped Dante's lips as he tossed the folder back on the dashboard. "They don't know what they mean. Bunch of government secretaries who think they know military jargon. Makes me sick. Saw it all the time when I was younger. Bunch of Rangers running around, didn't know what the hell to do because six different words meant the same thing. I remember getting a contract once. Eight sheets of paper to tell me one thing. You know what it was?"

"What?" Vergil not really caring.

Dante moved his hands along with the words to emphasize his point, "Kill - the - target. Save the taxpayers some money. Just send me a photograph with a red circle with a line across the guy's face. I'll get the idea."

Moving to try to get some more sleep, Dante slid down in the passenger side chair when Vergil informed him, "We're here."

Turning his head carelessly, Dante looked out the windshield asking, "How can you -"

The car passed by at least four men armed with military grade equipment. National Guard first responders. They saw more heavily armed and more winter-proofed men ahead. They stopped at a blockade of military trucks and road blockers. Not to mention the soldier coming up to their rental car with his hand out and a heavy rifle in his other. The soldier nearly pointed the barrel right at them as the falling snow had calmed a bit. He then commanded in a stern, young, and brash voice, "This is a no-enter zone! I'm asking you to leave now!"

Vergil rolled down the window and went to say something when Dante interrupted, "Yeah, I'll have two pizzas with garlic crust and a hot strawberry sundae, with extra strawberry glaze please."

The soldier readied his weapon against the two in the car, "Out of the car now! You are in clear violation with the United States government and I have full authority to kill you on sight by order of…"

Vergil gave him a cold look. Colder than the wind or the snow outside asking, "You really think that weapon can hurt me?"

At least twelve other soldiers came from around the truck with their rifles pointed at the car with a few actually having sophisticated rocket launchers dead-set on destroying the vehicle. Locked and loaded for death.

Dante pointed at the soldiers telling Vergil, "You know, that's a lot of hardware for just a normal, government sanctioned 'blackout'."

Vergil's eyes were not leaving the soldier in front of him with Yamato in the back seat. He didn't need it anyway. Not yet.

A fuzzy squeak came from the soldier closest to the car as an older voice came over his radio, "Private, what the hell is going on out there?!"

The soldier spoke into his radio receiver, "I got two civis (civilians) here who think they can go wherever they like!"

Another fuzzy transmission, "Are they wearing blue and red coats?"

The solider peered at the two through the heavy coat, puffed up hood, and layers of layers of rubber he was wearing to protect him. Replying confusingly he said, "Yes?!"

The voice then sound irritated with him, "For god-sakes soldier, they were invited! Let them through!"

The private put down his rifle and gave the other soldiers a hand signal. They all faded back behind the barricade as the private said to the two brothers, "Sorry about the confusion sirs."

Smiling to himself, Dante said, "No you're not."

Popping the car into drive, Vergil approached slowly towards the barricade. He weaved around the cars and trucks until another soldier came up walking with the car. He was armed with a light machine gun and looked like some kind of Siberian storm trooper, "Are you the two men the colonel's been waiting for?" He asked through a helmet looking right from a sci-fi movie. Not one part of his face could be seen and his voice sound like it was coming from a radio.

Not even looking at the soldier, Vergil said, "I guess we are." Not much surprising him anymore.

The soldier pointed to a brown-painted building made of hastily put together steel just twenty feet from the car. It was barely visible through the snow. "Park your vehicle next to that building over there on the right. The colonel is waiting for you inside."

Vergil did just that as he pulled up near the building on the right. He grabbed his sword from the back seat as Dante picked up his guitar case from the floor in front of him. They both exited the car and the wind howled at them as if some evil force did not want them there. The snow hit their faces but neither one was effected. The cold and snow a poor excuse of a deterrent. They walked up some steps seeing at least three heaters with fog pouring from them in the cold. Opening the door they walked into a warmed environment and relaxed a bit.

Inside was wall-to-wall computers with men sitting at them. Older model computers with newer looking equipment attached to them. The men at them seemed to be barely in their twenties all of them looking glued to the screens and chairs they sat at. In the back of the building, right in the middle of the horseshoe that the computers made, was 12 screens on-top of each other making a wall of tubes. Each one had a black-and-white image on it of a few building, some houses, and street corners with alleyways attached. Dante and Vergil both knew they were surveillance feeds of the town of Surulec. In front of that and the two half-demon brothers was a table with a mess of papers on it.

Leaning on the side of the table with his hands firmly planted on the wooden table, looking at all the papers in front of him, was a well-dressed officer of the military. He was older but stout. Having broad shoulders with a green beret on his head he stood up looking at the two demon hunters in front of him. He had a large scar down his right eye and cheek made by a knife or some other sharp object. Probably made by an enemy solider who was looking to take out his eye. A patch of flesh on the left side of his neck that extended down past his collar that was scaly in appearance. Scar tissue from an explosion he had taken.

He spoke to the two and when he did a kind but firm voice came out. It really didn't match the face but it did match the voice on the radio from earlier, "I'm glad to see they got you two."

Dante and Vergil walked away from each other with Vergil walking towards the man while Dante headed to the other side of the table. Both brothers looked at the table examining the paperwork. Vergil was the first to ask, "Are you Colonel Klink?"

The well-dressed man looked down at the floor and answered, "That apparent eh?"

Dante looked at the man smiling, "Well you do seem to be in charge here, grandpa."

Klink looked at Dante with a stone stair that Dante didn't shift away from. The two battle harden vets staring at each other intensely. Klink then said with a slight laugh, "Sorry we can't all be superhuman offspring who don't seem to age."

Staring at the papers, Vergil asked not looking at Klink, "Are these blueprints?"

Dante didn't let Klink answer Vergil's question as he retorted, "Oh we age just not like humans."

Slamming his fist down on the table breaking it in half, Vergil yelled out, "Dante! We have a job to do here! I cannot concentrate while you're making snide comments to the colonel! Can we focus?!"

Dante spun a chair towards the broken table in the corner sitting on it backwards with a slick smile on his face, "Merry Christmas everybody! Hope you enjoy your present. An angry little, piss-ant, workaholic with no sense of humor."

Throwing his sheath to the ground, Vergil had the point of Yamato dead set on Dante's throat. The red-coated demon slayer swallowed with a bored look on his face as Vergil said to him, "I could have cut your head off just now, dear brother!"

Dante was holding onto his guitar case firmly saying, "So what's stopping you? Because if you want to do this, I suggest we do it a little way from here."

"Why?!"

"Look around you. Want to hurt any of these people?"

"I don't care about them!"

"I do, dear brother. You make a move in here we are going to have some real problems. We might even kill each other."

"Good! I didn't want to come along on this mission anyway! You could have handled it yourself!"

Colonel Klink came over slowly and said cautiously, "Actually, I don't think he could have."

Vergil and Dante both looked at the colonel with identical looks of surprise. Klink walked over to the monitors and said to one of the soldiers sitting at one of the computers, "Sergeant, bring up the video."

The monitors filled up with the same image as Dante and Vergil both approached the monitors as the video played out. Dante ditching his chair while Vergil picked up sheathed his deadly sword with curiosity. Their eyes locked with intrigue at the video.

The video was a first-person perspective of the inside of the backseat of a humvee. The camera panned over shakily and in the view was at least twenty or some soldiers marching with the humvee with another humvee past them. It showed a soldier through the roof manning a grenade launcher with four other soldiers in the truck. The camera panned back inside of its own vehicle as it traveled down a snow covered road with some buildings being seen. Mostly small shops on either side of the trucks. Klink began to talk as the humvees slowly went through the main street in the town of Surulec. "We weren't sure what we were up against in the first couple of days. This was the first platoon sent inside the boundaries of the black zone. It wasn't really a black zone back then. The soldier filming was part of the military press core. This video hasn't been sent to them. They keep asking questions and I'm running out of excuses."

The camera then caught a glimpse of a small boy running past all the men screaming at the top of his lungs. Both vehicles stopped as the men got out. The press core soldier holding the camera shimmied up through the roof as a loud, thunderous stomp was heard. It shook both trucks and left the soldiers on the ground taking cover. The one still inside the truck aiming the grenade launcher.

Dante and Vergil looked at each other. Klink caught their look and asked, "Any of you ever heard anything like that before?"

"No." Vergil said.

Dante was stone silent still holding onto his guitar case housing his weapons.

Klink nodded his head toward the monitors, "This is were things went South for the platoon."

The video continued as the stomping continued in slow intervals. two shadows came into view that looked like two moving tree trunks ahead of the trucks. The press core soldier could be heard mumbling to himself, "What is that? What the hell is that?!"

Both brothers and Klink watched on as they felt a chill run up their spines as those two shadowy figures moved into view. Legs. They moved lumbering towards the trucks with the body they were connected to nowhere to be seen. Lost to the eye above a white fog. They seemed humanoid-like with huge feet that shook the ground as they landed. Yellowish toenails covered the toes on the feet. Chipped ands ruffed looking as if they had been gnashed on to keep them from growing any longer. Red and blue colored, varicose veins ran up and down the long legs with ghastly white flesh covering them. Looking like some kind of ghoulish road map. Dead and colder looking than the falling snow. They slowly made their way towards the trucks.

The men fired at the monstrous sized legs with even the grenadier on the roof of the humvee firing upwards into the white fog that covered the giant. Bullets of white hot lead raced into the fog with fire blossoming out in the fog causing the legs to stumble back from the impacts of both. Each grenade hitting something hidden inside the haze.

A howl could be heard from the moving behemoth. A high screech mixed with a baritone howl that caused the men to stop firing holding their ears. The reverberation could be seen through the air as the glass windows in the trucks broke away.

Once it ended the soldiers uncovered their ears and reengaged their mammoth-sized target. A lower growl came from the monster. This one sounding more angered than painful. The legs bent with a large hand and arm coming out of the fog. The hand being the size of the truck itself. The arm attached to it was lanky and seemed to blend in with the legs having the exact same features. Covered in those red and blue plump veins along with that white, dead skin.

It picked up the truck with the grenadier and tossed it like a kid playing with a small tennis ball. The truck flew through the air flying off into the distance, creating a large explosion when it hit wherever it had landed.

Most of the soldiers tried to flee but they were stomped into the ground by the humongous feet taking them out like a child stomping on an anthill. The camera man tried to flee, trying to escape from the roof as the camera showed the roof of the truck as the press core man struggled to get out of the top. He then saw the left foot sideswipe the truck and knock it over with him barely escaping from the overturned vehicle. The hand from before came out of the white mist crushing the truck, smashing it into the ground sending a tire or two flying off. The hand then lumbered after the camera man coming for him next. The camera shook as he dashed for cover somewhere almost making it to a building on the side of the main street. Turning around the camera showed in explicit detail the giant hand covering the screen and then - nothing. Static fuzz and electronic snow with a constant buzz coming from all the screens.

Dante and Vergil both looked at the ground with contemplation. It was Dante who asked, "What about the boy? The one that ran through in the first bit of the video?"

Klink shook his head solemnly, "Unknown. We never saw him here. We figure it got him too."

Taking a few steps back from the screen, Dante exited the building walking out into the wind and snow. Klink was a bit confused and so was Vergil. He pushed past the colonel saying, "Excuse me." He walked outside to check on his brother who was staring off into nothingness. Just a few trees and scattered snow. He walked to Dante's side who had a worried look on his face. Vergil was blunt when he asked, "What's wrong, Dante? I've never seen you like this before."

Having a tight grip on his guitar case, Dante barely noticed his brother, "It's not a demon."

Vergil looked away from Dante still a bit confused then back at him, "Okay. So then what is it?"

"I don't know. Usually when I sense a demon in the area its evil comes through without a hitch. This thing, on the other hand, is muddy. Like the evil's there but it's mixed-up somehow. It feels almost - human."

Pointing at the building with the monitors, Vergil nearly yelled out, "That thing is not human! Yes, I've felt it too. Its just hiding itself."

Dante shook his head, "No. When a demon hides they can't hide their essence. I can sniff'em out. This thing though - this thing is different. Its not a demon."

"Never worried you before. Why now? We've taken on plenty of other evil beings before that weren't demonic. Why is this one so different?"

Dante was quiet for awhile. It was fear. He didn't feel it too often being so calm and cocky under pressure but this particular monster had caused him to be nervous and cautious. To take a moment and actually wonder if he should go and try to put a stop to it. It wasn't because it wasn't a demon or because he didn't know what it was. It was because, in some deep way, he knew that he couldn't stop it. That neither of them could stop it from killing and spreading its evil. That's what scarred Dante the most. That he couldn't stop it. He wouldn't admit it though. Especially not to Vergil.

Tapping his thumb on the hilt of Yamato, Vergil walked away from his brother back to the brown command post. Before going back in, Vergil said to his brother, "We have work to do. When you finally get your head back in the game." He then walked back inside the building.

Taking a few steps away from the command post, Dante looked at the road beyond the guarded zone. He felt the creature hiding somewhere in the small town of Surulec. He popped open his guitar case and slammed it down in the snow looking at his instruments of demon destruction. Ebony and Ivory were lying there in their formed-out velvet. He slide his hands down the guns and tucked them in their holsters feeling as though he was doing it for the last time. His apprehension prevalent in his mind with his eyes glairing at Rebellion. It was right above the handguns' indents. Dante took it out swinging it a few times getting a feel back for the sword. Putting the sword on his back he looked down at the snow wondering if any of his weapons could help him this time. Gliding his eyes back to the road he stood in the snow with the falling flakes gently cascading down on him like it was now trying to hide the evil from him. Trying to conceal a seemingly dead world.

Dante picked his guitar case back up and shut it walking back to the brown headquarters building. Taking one look back at the road he knew he would be traveling soon to face the evil unknown.

Back inside, Vergil was reviewing the video and took pictures of the appendages of the monster sending them to Morrison for identification.

Dante just smirked saying to Vergil, "Morrison isn't going to know a thing."

Flipping his phone shut with a snarl, Vergil said to Dante, "You know that for sure?"

Dante just stepped over to the side of Klink asking, "When did this - thing…"

Klink interrupted, "The Big 26."

Staring at him strangely, Dante and Vergil both had their questions but Dante asked first, "The Big 26? How did it get that name?"

Taking a sigh, Klink explained, "At first the men were calling it Mondo Mureta"

Dante thought for a minute knowing it was Spanish. "The big death?!"

"Fits doesn't it? M is the 13th letter in the alphabet. 13 and 13 is?"

"26." Vergil hissed out.

Klink let out a long breath of dread looking back at the monitors, "Yes. When we first came here we didn't expect much. Maybe a small viral outbreak or an estranged group of well-armed cultist or something. Something for the national guard and certainly not the military. How wrong I was."

Staring at the door, Dante asked, "And the heavy hardware? You planning on going back up there?"

Klink shook his head, "No. Its just to stave off the upper brass from incinerating this town. I was ordering massive shipments of heavy weapons and explosives before I decided to contact Morrison." Klink then bent down picking up the large, blue piece of paper from the broken table. It seemed to be a sewer line map. "As you can see, the town is split up into about four sections. Two suburbs, a shopping area and a few old lumber mills that really aren't in use anymore. Satellite imagery puts the beast in the suburbs' area."

With a hard, concentrated look on Vergil's face, he asked, "You can't pinpoint its location?"

Smirking to himself, Dante said, "Of course they can't. A 'black zone' makes it hard for satellite tracking."

Vergil pushed past the colonel, "No time like the present." He walked out the door and Dante hesitated to follow but did nonetheless..

The two brothers both stood side-by-side as they looked down the road that would lead them into Surulec. The snow had started up again but fell freely as there was no wind howling at them this time. The snow just fell obscuring the road seemingly hiding what laid beyond. After looking at the map the two knew there was less than a quarter-mile of road into town. Vergil was armed with Yamato while Dante had Rebellion trustily on his back with Ebony and Ivory at his sides. Approaching the road block the soldiers guarding the barricade let them through as the two walked through the white curtain. Colonel Klink watched them disappear saying to himself, "Let the show begin."


	24. The Grither: 2

The walk into town was long and slow. Vergil nor Dante said anything to each other. They finally saw the silhouettes of buildings coming into view as they approached the desolate town. Dante flipped up his coattails grasping the grips of his guns. Vergil took a hold of the hilt of his sword. The two walking with their hands filled with their weapons.

The wind began to pick up again blowing both of their coattails to the side as they walked into town only greeted by empty stores, snow, wind, and the husk of the destroyed military vehicle from the video. This made them edgy. Dante tore his two guns from their holsters while Vergil readied Yamato popping it from the sheath. Just reveling the blade but not unsheathing it.

Dante, with his guns out, was the first to approach the vehicle. He looked around in an edgy yet calm demeanor wondering if anyone was alive. Vergil, with his sword by his side, walked up next to one of the storefronts and surveyed the carnage from there.

Circling the wreckage, Dante looked all around for any signs of life but found none. Vergil's cold eyes watched his brother while he slowly and calculatingly made his way to the next storefront, proceeding past Dante, looking down the main street for any signs of life not caring if it was from one of the townsfolk or the monster.

Looking at the decimated vehicle, Dante had his guns pointed at the metal husk as if it would come to life and attack him. He had no idea what to expect from this malevolent force and he wasn't taking any chances. Down below him he saw a bunch of different types of footprints but two intrigued him the most. One was the large monster's and the others was of a small boy's. Dante called out to his brother, "I think I got something here."

Vergil barely drew his attention from the main street to tell his brother, "Fine. Let me know if it actually 'is' something." He was preoccupied with a figure he thought he saw through the falling snow. It moved like a human and Vergil thought it was such. He walked towards the shadow more into town and away from Dante.

Meanwhile, Dante followed the two types of prints as the monster's prints ended a little outside of town and the boy's ended just fifteen feet from that. There also seemed to be a distortion in the prints. Like the kid had slipped or tripped but there was no body markings. That was when Dante let out an exhale of regret. It played out in his mind seeing the boy being snatched up by the monster and raised up to it to be eviscerated, digested, dissected - it was too horrible for Dante to imagine as he lowered his guns and started his walk back into town with a slower pace than before.

He caught up to his brother who had stopped a little ways from the wrecked vehicle. Dante looked around with his guns down and then saw inside one of the storefronts that it was a jewelry store. Looking back at his brother, he saw that he had his back to him. Seeing that, he looked back at the jewelry store and quietly entered the store knowing that it would be unlocked.

Vergil was concentrating on the shadow that he saw. It was gone now but maybe there was somebody left alive. The figure was small enough to be a child too. Maybe it was the boy from earlier. He thought about turning around asking his brother if he found something but he decided against it as quickly as he had thought of it.

Inside the store, Dante looked around holstering his guns as he looked at the jewelry. He was looking for something particular. When he saw it, he ran over to it, picking it up slowly, looking at it. A golden locket. He smiled at it and put it inside his coat removing the small, display picture inside of it.

Exiting the store he saw Vergil sheath his sword and start walking down the street slowly becoming obscure. Dante joined his brother quickly walking with him, asking, "What is it Vergil?"

Barely looking at his brother, Vergil replied, "I saw something down here."

"Know what it was?"

"It wasn't the monster."

Dante looked at his brother with quiet aggravation.

The two sauntered through the snow and across the street. Vergil and Dante didn't see anything for at least two minutes until the figure appeared nearly right in front of the two. It was a small girl and she was running with a large bags of groceries. As soon as the two caught sight of her and she caught sight of them, she looked like a deer in headlights as she looked on with fear at the two men. Her eyes were wide and she dropped the grocery bags in stilled fright.

The two watched the bags splash onto the ground with mounds of groceries spilling out onto the street. The two brothers looked at the small brunette girl as she barely whispered out in fright, "You shouldn't be here!"

Dante knelt to her level saying calmly to her, "Its okay, we're here to help."

That was when the quake came shaking the ground and shaking all of them to their cores. Vergil instinctively pulled Yamato while Dante ripped his guns from their holsters.

The small girl slowly turned her head shaking like a leaf in the direction of the tremor. She whispered out with terror in her voice and her body trembling with fear, "Nothing can help me. It can't be killed. Grandpa told me that before it killed him. He said there was no such thing. That there were no monsters in the dark!"

Another tremor as the cause of them was getting closer to the three. Dante took a step back towards Vergil as Vergil said to the little girl, "We kill monsters in the dark."

The girl swung her head around as her brunette hair seemed to lash out at the two brothers. Her eyes were no longer scared. Another tremor hit as she said with sadness and regret, "Not this one!"

She took off running down a side street as the giant, white-fleshed feet of the giant came into sight. It had gotten close very fast. Vergil stood ready with Yamato in front of him while Dante aimed his guns right above the feet at the ankles. He began firing like mad at the ankles as he became possessed by anger.

Vergil sliced Yamato through the air going headlong for the monster, slashing at the feet not really knowing if he would do any damage. A horrible sound came from the towering beast whose higher half still couldn't be seen. Vergil slashed away while Dante's fire pounded the milky looking flesh of the legs and feet of the monster.

The creature slid its feet across the ground and shook off the two demon hunters like they were nothing. Both brothers were on the ground as the feet had knocked them down. Dante tried to get back to his feet shocked that his guns hadn't caused any damage to the monster. There were bullet holes but they just seemed like mosquito bites. A hand lowered from the obscuring snow going for Dante. He rolled out of the way as the hand grabbed for him making him roll right behind the monster.

Standing back up, Vergil looked at the black blood that covered his blade in stunned silence raising his focus back to the feet seeing his slash marks. Black blood bubbled from the wounds but they healed up instantly. Only demons healed that fast from normal, human weapons. Not from his devil arm sword. He had never seen regeneration from evil off of his blade. This thing wasn't a demon. This was something far more evil.

Going back in for another strike, Vergil was grabbed by Dante who yelled at him, No! We can't win this fight. We need to find where the girl ran off to!"

The monster approached the two with a thunderous roar that sounded both enraged and fearful. Its feet hit the ground with authority as they moved towards the two, pounding the ground like falling columns.

The warriors turned and ran from the fight looking for where the girl had escaped to. They went down the same side street following her footprints in the snow. The monster behind them slamming into a garage just behind them. Kicking away the building in anger, smashing through it, determined to get the two.

They finally found the girl hiding in a dumpster as she flipped open the lid and ran away from Dante and Vergil. The two looked at each other as they looked back seeing the confused beast. Looking as though it couldn't find them as it had gone through the garage.

From a few yards away, a strange noise came like the clattering of metal. The two half-demon brothers didn't bother themselves about it as they followed the girl. The monster seemed very interested in it though as it followed the sound leaving the garage in shambles.

Meanwhile, the demon hunters followed the child to a ladder that lead up a wall into a wooden attic area of a large building. The building seemed to be a rundown lumber factory of some kind. They followed her up as they saw another face guiding her up. It yelled down at the two, "Who the hell are you?!"

Vergil was right behind Dante climbing up as he yelled up, "You want that thing to find you?!"

"Its not after me, you moron!"

Dante got to the top of the ladder first followed by Vergil who proceeded to put the man up against a wooden wall in the attic by the blade of his sword. Vergil shoved the edge against the man's throat drawing blood, saying to him, "We came to help you! I expect a little gratitude!"

The man was Asian looking. Seemingly middle-aged.

Feeling a pressure up against the back of his head, Vergil heard the distinctive pumping of a shotgun as an older woman's voice said, "The only thing you'll get from me is a slug in your head!"

Vergil just turned his head with a sneer on his face, "Try it. I dare you."

Dante folded his arms leaning against the attic wall, "Well, its not like we can leave either."

Two more people climbed up into the attic area by the ladder saying to the lady with the shotgun, "I think that's got its attention for now." The two looked at the brothers as Vergil let down the Asian man and returned his sword to its sheath. They asked the shotgun lady, "Who are these idiots?!"

The two were a young couple that seemed winded and their clothes were slightly ragged and torn. A blonde girl and a blonde guy. The way they stayed close to each other suggested they were either siblings or lovers. Dante guessed the latter just by body language.

Dante leaned off the wall telling them, "We came here to try and help."

The young blonde guy seemed a bit confused while the young blonde girl looked around for the small child, "Where's Stepha?"

The older woman with the shotgun had already lowered the weapon and pointed over to the small girl in a corner. "Over there."

Vergil had waited for this chance. While the young blonde girl went to coddle the small girl, the Asian guy moved away from the two brothers, and the young blonde guy went to ask a question of his own. Vergil moved in on the shotgun woman. In mere milliseconds he had unsheathed his sword, knocked the shotgun from the older woman's hands, and had her up against the wall with the point of his sword against the lady's throat.

The young, blonde guy went for the shotgun but Dante kicked it away from him and spun around with Ivory pointed right at his brother's white-haired skull. Vergil looked away from his hostage telling Dante, "I don't like guns, Dante."

Dante just cocked his head, "I know, brother. A little necessary given the circumstance."

"I'm not talking about you."

"Yeah, I know. Give me a little more credit than that. These people are scared Vergil. You know and I know they have every right to be."

"I could cut down every one of these sheep like a scythe through tall grass in less than five seconds."

"Six. The kid's a bit small and probably would give you a good chase." Dante tapped the trigger of his gun as he remained his usually cocky self in a tense situation. He was kind of happy to be back in a familiar situation. Not a favorable situation to him but a familiar one. One that didn't involve that horrible, seemingly unstoppable beast outside.

Vergil said, pressing Yamato against the woman's throat, "You think we can talk calmly with these people? Try to get answers from them?"

"Now see, that's where I don't care. I'm not really here to interrogate these people, dear brother. If they give me answers or not I don't care."

"We need answers!"

The young blonde-haired boy was moving slowly towards the shotgun. He nearly had it when suddenly Rebellion jammed into the floorboards near the shotgun being flung from Dante's back. Dante looked over where he had speared the sword, looking as though he hadn't moved, saying, "I wouldn't do that, boy. He's already said he doesn't like guns."

Not taking his eyes off his hostage, Vergil replied, "I'd do as he says. Talking me down just so happens to be one of my brother's talents."

Dante returned his eyes to his twin, telling him, "Vergil, you don't need to tell me why you really came. I know you want a challenge. You haven't fought me or a challenging demon in so long that you want something to test your power."

"You don't?"

Dante liked a good challenge but unlike Vergil he knew that this monster they faced was too much for either of them. He didn't know how he knew he just - knew. Dante decided to tell Vergil, "I care more about saving these people."

"That's why I will always be of superior blood Dante. You worry about the sheep while I hunt the wolf."

"Then hunt and kill wolves - not sheep. It's beneath you."

Vergil relaxed his blade from the woman's throat and walked away from his hostage picking up his blue sheath. He cased his sword saying to Dante, "If you don't mind I tend to get bored watching stupid animals graze." He walked over to where Dante had flung Rebellion and sat down Indian-style with Yamato crossing his knees. The young blonde man quickly scurried away from the blue-coated demon hunter as he sat down. Vergil threw Rebellion back at Dante, "You dropped your staff, shepherd."

Catching his sword, Dante spun it back onto his back and spun Ivory back under his coat. the older woman was going to pick up her shotgun but Dante stopped her. He looked over at Vergil asking, "Can one of the sheep have back their toy?"

Opening his eyes from meditation, Vergil looked at the shotgun and nearly flung it outside with tremendous force. Dante caught it though and gave it back to the older woman trying to look as submissive as possible. He guessed he didn't look very agreeable as the woman snatched the shotgun away and ran over to the child pointing it at Dante. Dante was hardly intimidated.

He walked away and saw the Asian man in an opposite corner of the women. He was mumbling to himself but Dante didn't know what. Dante tried to approach this situation a little more calmly than usual. His cocky attitude was still evident but he tried to be a little more humane than usual. "You said, 'It's not after me.' Is it after all of you?"

The Asian man looked at Dante with constrained terror. He too was trying his best to stay calm although he wasn't doing the best job he thought he could. "No! If it was we would all be dead by now! It's after her!" He said, pointing to the small girl named Stepha.

Turning his head to look at the girl, Dante started making sense of the monster. "Why? Why is it after her?"

The older woman with the shogun said in a low, angry voice, "Because she said its name! that's how it finds you. All those other people its killed just got in the way between it and her. And - her brother."

"Her brother?!" Dante remembered the small boy from the film. He looked at the girl and noticed the resemblance. She seemed to be a younger sister though. Seemingly to be shoulder height smaller than the boy from the video.

The older woman went on, "From what she told us; before learning the thing hunted by sound, that her and her brother heard the story of the monster from their grandparents. It's already killed them and their uncle Michael. He tried to race them out of town but it caught up with them and killed him but the kids escaped. They tried to warn the rest of us but - like we'd listen. They warned adults and kids. One of those kids they warned was my little girl, Rebecca. Then she said its name, jokingly thinking nothing would happen. Well, that big bastard came for her and I must of shot at it ten times. All it did was bat me out of the way like a fly. It dragged my sweet girl up in the air and I never saw her again!" The older woman sat down next to Stepha and held her close. "My Becky was fourteen and she was track master. Could run like no other girl in this town could. You know she was up for the state championships this year?"

Looking at the wooden floorboards of the attic, Dante swallowed hard. That familiar, helpless feeling coming back to him. Feeling of uselessness. He sucked it up though asking, "So it can find her wherever she goes?"

The younger blonde answered this time. "She can't make any noise! We're not even sure if the thing can't hear her heartbeat. It doesn't matter where she goes, it'll find her. That's why she's the only one of us that can go back in town."

Dante knew why. "Keep it confused. Don't let it hone in on one place."

"Yes. If we went with her, we'd just slow her down and get killed by that monster. She told us she didn't want that. She also wanted to look for her brother."

Dante and Vergil both understood that.

"So, we try to distract it sometimes. It seems to like the sound of metal. Don't know why. We get what things we can like pots and pans and car parts and drop huge bags of them in areas opposite where she's foraging for food and supplies. Believe me, I don't like letting her go out alone…"

Vergil interrupted, "Not like you could stop it."

The young blonde said looked at Stepha with regret knowing that this white-haired assailant was right.

Having his eyes closed in meditation, Vergil suddenly heard a slight ringing. He looked in his coat seeing his cell phone was going off. He flipped it open knowing it was Morrison on the other line, "How did you get through? I thought they blacked-out the satellites in this area?"

Morrison's voice was loud and frightened. "Get out of that town! Now!"


	25. The Grither: 3

Vergil calmly stretched out the phone to Dante saying, "Its for you."

Curiously, Dante took Vergil's cell phone and held it up to his ear, "Hello?"

"You're going to die up there!"

"Hello Morrison and how are you on this Christmas Eve?"

"Dante - damn it! Listen to me, alright?!"

"Talk to me."

Taking a sigh of both relieve and frustration, Morrison began his story. "At first I didn't know what Vergil had sent me. I looked everywhere in demonology for this - this thing. I didn't even have a name to go on. Now I wish I didn't. I found it in folklore and myths. Most of it from - a - a well known source to me."

Dante walked away from Vergil as he listened to Morrison. Vergil got up from the floor and leaned on his sword watching his brother curiously. He wanted to hear everything Morrison was saying but he could wait.

Morrison went on, "Its - it's the unnamable. According to the myths, this thing seeks out anybody who has uttered its name within a two month period. After Halloween is when it becomes active."

Dante looked out past the ladder of the attic into the town below which he could see hardly none of because of the snow, "So this thing sits and wait for its name to be uttered?"

"That's the legend. The story is that when it finds these people it 'takes' them."

"What do you mean takes them?"

"Nobody knows. They're never seen again if that means anything."

Looking at the ladder, Dante asked, "Tell me everything you know about it."

"If I do Dante, do you promise to leave that town?"

"I'll consider it."

"No! I want your word that you'll leave as soon as possible. Those people can't be helped. Not by you, not by the military, not by anyone or anything!"

"I promise, I'll leave as soon as possible."

"It came about, both the legend and the creature, over five-hundred years ago. Tons of lost ships in the Arctic Ocean over the centuries. Expeditions, pirates, Vikings. The - it - was born out of all the fear and rage of those men lost."

"So it's a vengeful spirit?"

"No. That's the thing. If it was a spirit your swords and bullets would actually be able to stop it. They don't so no."

"Keep going."

"You've seen the different colored veins on it, right?"

"Yeah."

"The blue is for fear and the red is for rage. All the fear and rage that those dying men felt. Dante - even the demonworld has its own stories about it."

"What?"

Vergil took his sword in hand and began to approach Dante, curious by his tone.

Morrison's voice began to tremble with fear, "Apparently demons have run into this thing before too. It carted them off as well when they said its name. Powerful demons. Your -" He stopped think if he should tell Dante.

"My what Morrison?"

Trying to give himself enough courage, Morrison took a swig of a bottle he had next to him. "Your father has tangled with this thing before."

Dante looked out at the snow covered landscape and said, as he saw Vergil right next to him, "I'm putting you on speaker Morrison. Vergil should hear this too." He looked at the phone and hit the button. The two brothers listen as Morrison told them the story.

"How do you think I found out about it? Part of the Sparda legend is that he tangled with it - for decades. A goliath-like beast of white skin and red and blue veins. Taller than a poplar with arms longer than boa-constrictors. Able to hurtle a legion of men in one hand the length of a forest. Sound familiar? He uttered its name hoping to put a stop to it once and for all. In fact, he might have been the first. He might have just given that thing its name. He fought it back to the Arctic. That's where it lies dormant until after Halloween. Your father fought it every year. Even when he started to fade away he fought until his death."

Both brothers looked at each other with determination in their eyes. Dante was the first to speak. "Morrison - how do we stop it."

"You don't. It a force of nature now. The only thing you can do is run away from it."

Vergil looked at the people in the attic. He saw the little girl shivering as the others did their best to warm her. He gripped his sheathed sword tightly, asking Morrison, "You said it lies dormant? For something to be dormant it first must become inactive. Logically, this thing has a shelf-life, right? How long until it goes away?"

Morrison looked at his watch, "By Washington time - half-an-hour."

Dante said surprised, "Wait! That's…"

"Christmas!" Vergil finished.

Stepha stood up from the group, "What about my brother?!"

The two brothers looked at the little girl as they heard that familiar pound on the ground. Then another coming closer. Dante and Vergil both looked out past the ladder barely seeing a gigantic shadow heading their direction.

Dante put the phone up to his ear, "Call you back Morrison."

"No Dante get out of there! You can't beat…" He had already hung up.

Vergil marched over to the girl and picked her up by the waist. The others tried to stop him but he was way too strong for any of them. He pointed his cased sword at them saying, "She's safer with us than with all of you. If she stays here she will bring that thing down on you. Don't worry, its our jobs."

Bringing the girl, Vergil stood next to Dante saying, "You ready for this?"

"I'm not sure what I'm ready for anymore. I thought I had seen every evil in the world and then this…"

"The Grither." Came from the little girl's mouth.

The two brothers looked down at the girl. A screeching roar came on the wind sending a spike of ice in the hearts of everyone as the giant beast picked up its pace.

Vergil asked, "Why is he called that?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Stepha replied, "Because he 'grithers' them in. The ones who have been speaking his name in vain. That's what my grandpa told me."

Dante pulled Rebellion from his back, "Seems appropriate somehow."

The two jumped from the attic with the girl in-tow. They landed on the ground kicking up a wave of snow as a quake shook the area. It was getting close. They took off for the middle of town heading back towards the wrecked army vehicle. The two demon hunters not sure what they were going to do.

They nearly made it before a large, house-sized chunk of road came at them hurtled from somewhere. It hit right behind them colliding with the force of a small meteorite, knocking the two off their feet with the girl leaving Vergil's grasp. She was flung about twenty feet from the brothers. Vergil was sent crashing through a store front window rolling down aisles of merchandise. Being buried under the racks of odds-and-ends. Dante was sent forward high in the air landing hard into the decimated vehicle, decimating it further. Metal and steel enclosed around him surrounding him in a big, black ball.

The girl was covered in dirt from the impact as she crawled for some kind of safety. The Grither was right behind her planting its foot on the roadway hard. Kicking up small amounts of debris and dirt as it walked after her. Stepha began to cry as she crawled for Dante who was still out of it.

Shaking his head with glass and small metal bits falling from his white hair, Dante came-to standing out of the nearly unrecognizable scrap metal, grabbing hold of Rebellion. He planted his blade in the road as he watched on in rage as the Grither hunted down its prey. Twisting his hands on the hilt in readiness he went at the monster full of vigor and vitality slashing at the ankles of the beast making it roar out loud in anguish.

This stirred Vergil from within the store as he knocked away a few of the fallen racks on top of him. He stood up with Yamato in hand walking out through the destroyed window frame. Hopping out onto the street, Vergil swung back his sword; flinging the blue sheath to the ground, sending out four whipping, air slices that went right for the Grither's other foot.

Both men's attacks hit dead center their intended targets but did nothing to slow it down from hunting the girl. It tripped up the behemoth a little but its path towards the child was undeterred. Even with the trail of black blood it was leaking out.

The two brothers slashed furiously at the monster's feet but to no avail. They stopped in the middle of the road taking a rest. Stepha got to her feet running for cover. The two demon hunters went back at it with no effect. The wounds healed too fast and the black blood slowly disappeared into the snow.

Being nearly right on top of the girl, that gigantic hand of its reached down for her but Vergil was there sending out five air slices pushing the beast's paw away from the small child. Dante grabbed her and ran away to the side wall of the first shop they had come across when they arrived in town. He sat her down in the snow telling her, "Listen - Stepha - we need you to run away. Find a colonel down below named Klink. You tell him what happened. You tell him - tell him that we did our best to stop this thing."

Stepha's cheeks had slow moving tears rolling down them as she barely uttered out, "What about my brother?"

Looking back at the tracks he had seen where he knew the boy had been 'gritherd up' he said, "Stepha, I'm sorry. He…"

She just cried more as the Grither had picked back up on her auditable scent. It knocked Vergil away as it stomped towards its victim.

Dante looked back around the building at his brother who was struggling to keep the Grither's attention seeing him be knocked away. He breathed out with dismay turning his attention back to Stepha, "Run. Now! It won't be hunting you anymore."

"Why?!"

"Run!" Dante shoved her away walking out to face the Grither head-on. Stepha bawled hard into her hands as she raced down the long road towards the blockade. Her figure disappeared into the falling snow as Dante looked at the massive beast going in for another swing. Again, he was kicked away as the Grither marched on.

Both Vergil and Dante angrily pounding their fist on the road kicking up some snow as they did. Standing up, the two attacked but the feet did not stop. All they did was leave a trail of black blood and dissipating hope in the two expert demon slayers.

Backing off at the same time, Dante said at the marching beast, "Hey Grither?!"

Vergil looked at his brother shocked, "What are you doing?!"

The big feet stopped just at the edge of town. They stood there for a minute as a low growl came from above. They then turned right for Dante stomping towards him as another monstrous growl came from the titan of terror.

Dante continued on, "Grither! Grither! Come on - come and get me! I'm right here!"

Vergil pounced back up to a roof of a building yelling down to his brother, "What's your plan, brother? Get him so mad that he trips?"

Dante rolled backwards as the Grither reached for him. "No! Try to get to his head while he's on me." He had to roll twice to avoid the hand again.

Spinning his sword, Vergil got ready. He watched the lumbering goliath chase after his brother and then launched himself right at the back thigh of the titan. Sinking his sword deep into the back leg of the Grither, Vergil began to scale upwards, climbing the living mountain.

Down below, Dante dodged and slashed his sword trying to deter the Grither. He ran into a shop which the Grither just immediately demolished as Dante ran out the back stalked by the humongous humanoid.

Vergil was now on its back still climbing upwards planting his sword multiple times into the spine of the beast. He reached the back neck as this tangled mess of white hair slapped him in the face smelling of mildew and rotten flesh. It was enough to make Vergil sick. Not as much as a bowl of chili but close to it.

Making his way to the top of the head he stood on it like he had climbed Mt. Everest. He raised his sword high above his head and drove the point clear through the top of the monster's cranium. A loud roar came from the Grither as it fell to the ground taking Vergil with it. Vergil jumped from the echelon of the skull and rolled onto the ground landing next to his brother who watched in barely composed glee as the Grither collapsed to the ground like a fallen monument of evil. It landed with a hard smack as a wave of snow was kicked up nearly knocking both brothers off their feet.

Walking away from Dante, Vergil found his blue sheath and cased in his sword. As he sauntered back towards the fallen giant of horror he had a small smile slide across his face, "I think that's the end of the Grither."

Dante approached with his sword on his back and his guns aimed. He walked up to its face getting a good look at the behemoth. The head was as big as a large car looking just like a old man's face. A tangled, white beard donned its face covering most of it. Its nose was thick and crooked as if it had had a run in with another of its kind and lost in a boxing match with it. Its cheeks were notched with scars and pit-marks. Some so deep and long that Dante felt he could wrap his sword in the folds of flesh. He bent down looking at the lips and moved its upper lip getting a good look at its teeth. Yellow chipped canines and snaggletooth bicuspids. Some molars were black on the inside with yellow on the outside. Its breath stunk of a stench indescribably bad and reminded Dante of wet wood and dead skunks only inhumanly worse. 'It's breath!' Dante's mind yelled out coming to a frightening realization.

The Grither's eyes popped open staring a hole in Dante. They were a faded blue with black pupils. Red lines extended out from the pupils looking like red lightning in a milky blue sky with a black hole in the center. Dante shot several times at its face but all it did was let out this horrible groan as it began to get up. Vergil sliced the blue sheath off Yamato with surprise and shock in his eyes. Dante kept shooting as the Grither made a long, drawn out roar as it stood back up on its feet.

Dante and Vergil both eluded the giant predator as Vergil shouted at his brother, "Well, what now?!"

Red lightning began to accumulate in Dante's hands as black claws burst from his fingertips encircling his guns. He twitched with power as a fire grew in his eyes. "Now - I'm done jerking around with this thing!" An energy wave blasted out from Dante as he had Devil Triggered. His guns sinking into his skin becoming part of him, his sword sinking into his back also becoming part of his anatomic arsenal.

Vergil grabbed his sword by the hilt and flung it up into the air. He produced an energy wave of his own catching his sword in a silver-clawed hand. His skin rippled with blue scales and his hair had become horns. His wings unfurled as he said with that demonic reverberation to his voice, "Alright Grither!"

A growl came from the Grither.

"Time to bow down to some real demons."

Dante strutted over to his brother with his black claws on his feet digging into the tar of the street. He growled as his own demon powered voice came out, "Lets see just how unstoppable you really are." Opening his fists, aiming for the Grither's chest above him, he opened fire with his palms becoming a blaze with fire. Overpowered bullets flew into the Grither's chest tearing out chunks of his anatomy as pieces of white flesh and black meat slapped the ground torn from the behemoth's pectorals.

Taking off like a rocket, Vergil launched into the air and spun right for the Grither's face like a sidewinder missile. His sword in front of him becoming like a blue drill twisting right for the child killing creature. Vergil bore into the Grither's skull tearing apart its left eye, drilling right through his head out the other side like a blue power drill. Black blood sprayed out of the giant hole and from Vergil's spinning body as he flew to a distance and watched the creature fall to one of its knees.

It collapsed to one knee as Dante stopped his barrage of lead smiling, showing off his monstrous teeth. Vergil landed right by his brother as both demon's outstretched their wings walking towards the Grither.

It was breathing heavily as it wheezed loudly because of the damage it had taken. As the two demon brothers approached, the Grither looked down at them as its eye had fully healed and its chest was no worse for ware. It stood back up making the two stop with rage. Dante nor Vergil could believe it.

It roared out against them with that piercing holler that had shattered the glass from the army trucks in the video. Both of them covered their ears as it went on making them take a step back. The monster stopped, slamming its hand down on Vergil. Dante swung his head at the giant hand that had crushed his brother, saying to the Grither, "Oh, that was a bad move, tall, white, and ugly!"

Vergil stood up with the hand pressed upwards with both hands. Guerrilla-pressing the hand, he flew upwards with his silver claws dug into the palm of the hand, flying above the monster's head. Still locked onto the hand he tried to lift the whole beast along with it. The Grither was strong though and pulled against Vergil's might wining the power struggle, sending the blue-scaled demon hunter into the ground like a tossed rock.

He hit with the force of a missile kicking up debris and snow. Breaking apart a concrete sidewalk and a large section of street. He shook off the impact as he stood up shaking his head, looking back up at the beast infuriated.

Dante flew into the air launching an all-out assault, firing with one hand while with the other he slashed and cut apart the Grither's face. The beast backed away from Dante's onslaught as he stabbed, shot, cut, and dismembered pieces of the Grither's face. Black blood sprayed everywhere but Dante let out a belting roar and with a wined-up of his sword, he slashed at the goliath's throat spraying blood all over the ground. The Grither reached up choking on its own fluid, gasping for its life as its strength slowly drained from the wound in its neck.

Flying up to meet them, Vergil raised both of his hands above his head and roared out, "Dante!"

Dante swung his head looking at Vergil with venom.

Vergil formed two, huge, blue ethereal swords above him. "Move!"

Snarling, Dante moved out of the way of Vergil's attack.

The two swords both looked more like knight swords rather than the samurai style of Yamato. Holding them both out of his hands, Vergil threw them at the Grither aiming right for the dying beast. They went in for the kill as they swung around its neck cutting its head right off its shoulders. The Grither let out one final gurgling howl as its head was lopped off by the demonic, blue, ghost swords. They disappeared as the Grither's head fell to the ground like a boulder pushed off a mountain top. The body fell to its knees and rolled over backwards leaving a trail of blood. Its head on the ground letting out small gasps of noise. Bubbling black liquid escaped its lips.

Vergil hovered to the ground with both arms and wings outstretched. Dante landed with a hard impact walking over to the side of his brother. Both of them looked on with pride as the black blood of the killed goliath emptied out into the street melting the snow as it flowed like a river of boiling oil.

Turning their backs, the demon hunters walked away from the evil being proud of themselves. They nearly turned back into their normal selves but Dante held out one clawed hand smacking his brother in the chest. Both of them stopped and turned slowly back at the creature seeing its severed head making gurgling noises at them as more black blood emptied from its mouth. The dead body of the Grither slouched over to the head touching the head with the severed neck. The oil-colored blood of the Grither sprayed over the served head as it connected back to its body. Dante said in his demonic voice, "You have got to be kidding me?!"

The body twitched with small spasms as the head reattached itself, the Grither becoming whole again. It stood back up on its legs and twisted its newly attached head on its neck. It made a pleased sound as it refocused back on Dante and Vergil taking a step towards them. The behemoth sneered at them letting out this deep throated growl as it looked on with evil in its eyes and hatred in its dark heart.

Standing ready, Dante readied his sword looking over at his brother. Vergil was nearly in shock. His mouth hung wide open not believing what he was seeing. He felt powerless as his brother slapped him on the shoulder, "We've got work to do, remember?"

Vergil snapped his head at Dante as Yamato swung up to meet Dante with Vergil saying confidently, "Yeah!"

Both of them flew upwards to meet the Grither face-to-face. The two slapped their sword blades together. Lightning bolts traveled down the blades as they began to form together making one sword blade. Purple flashes of light traveled down the two swords becoming one as both Dante and Vergil's powers combined.

The Grither looked on in hate lowering its head, glairing at the two. A low tone roar came from its mouth that neither of them had heard from the beast. A roar that was so full of rage and evil that it made both the brothers shake just a bit in fear.

They were undeterred though as they gathered their own energy together. The blade extended outward with three points growing from the metal. The steel lost its silver color becoming an ash black being overtaken by the void color. Flashes of purple lighting covered the blade like veins in the metal. Both demon brothers pulled back with the large, black blade ready for evisceration.

Taking a step for them, the beast let out this long howl and outstretched its arms roaring at the two. Dante and Vergil both smiled seeing the perfect spot for their newly formed sword. Right through its heart. The two not being able to help themselves from saying it simultaneously, "Jackpot!"

Driving the black blade right through the Grither's chest, it explode right through its back with the goliath rearing its head back with a roar to the sky as the falling snow whirled around its roar to the heavens. Its wound was massive and the pain excruciating. The large sword was charged with power as bolts of both demons' power flashed about the blade as a tremendous force was unleashed. A bright blast knocking both brothers away from the monster as it disappeared behind the light. It was like a large bomb of power with the two devil kin landing in the snow in human form.

A sphere of light was formed engulfing the town of Surulec, Washington. Even the colonel saw it from where he was at. The bright light blinding him as he was standing outside a ways from the command center. Little Stepha was safe drinking some hot chocolate in the main building watching from the monitors in the building. She watched in terror as all of them were wiped out by the blast making all the monitors shut down.

Slowly fading off, the light retracted back to its point of origin where the Grither was no more. Not one piece of it was left. No blood, no footprints, no nothing. Like it hadn't ever existed.

Dante sat up back in his human form looking at Rebellion. He then looked over at Vergil who was also back in human form. Vergil was still laying on his back with his eyes shut. Whether he was unconsciousness or just exhausted Dante wasn't sure. He stood up slowly barely able to stand.

Vergil's eyes finally opened as he looked up at the dark sky of night. He was helped up by Dante with Yamato by his side. Standing a little hazy and unbalanced with grogginess to his voice, Vergil asked tiredly, "Did we do it?"

Looking around, Dante answered his question with an unsure exhale and a, "What time you got?"

Vergil flipped his cell phone open, "12:01."

Nodding his head, Dante said to Vergil, not taking his stone blue eyes off the small city landscape, "Merry Christmas bro."

Breathing heavily, Vergil looked around to see if the explosion had caused any damage. He was surprised to see that actually most of the destruction caused by both them and the Grither was completely gone. Flipping his phone shut, he asked, "Did we kill it?"

"I don't know. Morrison said it would disappear after the stroke of midnight on Christmas."

Letting out an exhale of disappointment, Vergil said, "So, either we killed it or -"

Dante finished for him, "Or we get to do this next year."

Vergil stood up with his sword at his side watching Dante get up sheathing Rebellion. The blue-coated devil hunter then asked, "Why do I feel like its going to be the latter?"

With sorrow filled eyes, Dante replied, "The same reason I do. We hit that thing with everything we had and it just kept coming."

Vergil had never felt so defeated in his life. He had been through the bowels of the demonworld and had beaten most challengers and more as Neo Angelo. He was the only one that could beat Dante and yet him and his brother were next to nothing against the power of the Grither. Even both of them in their Devil Triggered state with their powers combined, it was doubtful the monster was truly destroyed. For now they could only wait.

The two walked back to the blockade and were greeted by both Colonel Klink and Stepha. Stepha came running to the two and pleadingly asked, "Did you find my brother?"

Dante bent down on his one knee and gently touched her shoulders, "Stepha - you're safe now. I wish we could have been here sooner to save him but -" He stopped and swallowed hard as he saw the tears accumulate in her eyes. She put her head against his chest as the half-demon felt his heart ache for her. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest.

Looking away from the two, Vergil thought about next year. What if he lost Dante? The snow and the cold hid his emotions as a little water swelled up in his own eyes. Thoughts of loosing his brother and regret welling up inside of him.

Looking down at the ground and taking a step back, Colonel Klink gave them some room as the two brothers stayed still in the snow. Frozen not by the icy grips of winter but by the feelings of loss. All of them having lost something this Christmas day with the small child in Dante's arms. She cried for at least five minutes before saying to Dante, "I don't have anybody. My brother and grandparents all killed by that monster. Even uncle Mike was killed. I don't have anybody!"

That was when Vergil took a step towards the two, "You have plenty, little girl."

She looked at him curiously wiping away her cold tears.

Vergil continued, "Those people in that attic seemed awfully worried about your well-being. Maybe one of them can care for you?"

Dante stood up with a slight smile, "That's right. The Grither's gone now. You're safe."

She backed away from Dante to the side of Klink.

Klink halfheartedly smiled saying to her, "They are the best at what they do."

Nodding, Dante walked away from the two as Vergil followed. The two slowly approaching their rental car. Both of them had their heads hung low as Klink walked back inside the command post with the girl. He directed her inside while he stayed outside. He waited for Stepha to enter before asking the two devil hunters angrily, "Did you really kill that beast?!"

Dante and Vergil both looked at Klink with sorrow in their eyes. Dante being the one to answer, "We don't know. I hope we did. It won't be back until next year even if we didn't."

Klink snarled at the two not because they had presumably failed but because the Grither may still be on the loose. He then said with pride, "I'll be watching for it next year around this time. If it does come back, you two we'll be the first ones I call."

Nodding his head, Dante stepped into the car with Vergil following slowly after. Klink walked back inside the command post to comfort Stepha.

Inside the car, Dante let out a sigh along with Vergil who loosely gripped the steering wheel. Putting Yamato down he swallowed as he turned on the ignition. The car revved up and Vergil was about to shift the car into reverse when Dante held up something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his attention to see it was a gold-chained locket for a picture. He took it slowly and asked Dante coldly, "What's this?"

Not even looking at his brother, Dante said, "It a picture pedant. I know you didn't have one for mom so I got you that for Christmas. It isn't much after all but I told you I get you something."

Again, Vergil felt those ideas and feelings of loss coming over him. Washing over him like a tidal-wave and actually hurting him when they did. He gripped the locket and put it in his pocket. He looked at his brother Dante and forced the words out, "Merry Christmas, Dante."

Dante slowly looked at his brother with extreme surprise. He never thought he would ever hear those words come out of Vergil's mouth.

His brother pulled from the parking space, away from the blockade, and was heading back onto the snowy road for home. He told his red-coated twin, "I guess I'm going to have to get you something now."

With a small, pleased smile, Dante thought about the words Vergil had just uttered and said, "You already did, Vergil."

* * *

**A/N: This is the 25th chapter. Odd coincidence. I thought it was worth mentioning nonetheless. Merry Christmas everybody! I hope this was up to it and I hope you all liked it.**


	26. Of Steel & Blood: 1

The long, stretch limousine pulled up next to a flimsy, rust riddled gate. Its tires rolling over the small stones covering the ground. The sun had just set over the horizon and the last bit of red and orange in the sky were fading away. What mostly decorated the sky now was dark and bright blues.

The back door of the long, black car opened with a belted boot hitting the ground with another coming right after it. A red coat flowed out with Dante already locked and loaded with his two guns and sword. The other door opened with the lovely Trish exiting the car. She was equipped, per usual, with Sparda and her two handguns, Ombra and Luce. Walking around to join Dante, they both looked at the building they were about to enter as the limo pulled away.

It was a square brick and steel building. Two large, green, industrial doors lead into the steel mill as the smoke stacks above produced nothing. It had not been running for days and it clearly showed by the lack activity.

Dante rolled his shoulders and asked of Trish, without looking at her, "Alright, what's the deal with this place?"

Trish folded her arms saying jadedly, "Morrison said there were some reported deaths from some demon - machine - things."

With a sigh, Dante hung his head into his hand, "Oh, why Morrison? Why do you do this to me?" Knowing this was probably going to be a goose chase.

Beginning their walk towards the steel mill, Dante and Trish discussed the job back and forth. Dante saying first, "Alright, give me the details."

Trish struggled to remember them. "Apparently, the machines in here have already killed several people and have become possessed."

"Possession? Demons possess humans, they posses animals - not often. They don't takeover machines!"

"I know Dante but the manager promised to give us a big payday. Of course Morrison said yes."

"Of course he did. Could be real demons out there to kill but no! I got to be here 'pretending' to exercise some hunk of junk."

They walked through the rust covered gate and were met by a pudgy man with a flashlight in hand. He wore a business suit and seemed to be frightened of the two. He approached them anyway swallowing hard as he greeted them, "Hello! You must be the ones here to solve my problem." His voice was thick and sound a bit cracked from cigar smoke.

Dante was a little offset by the man. He automatically didn't like him feeling the sleaziness coming off of him. Trish could feel it too but she ignored it.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Dante; not even looking at the man but in any other direction he could find, retorted, "I guess so. Just to let you know we are not mechanics or specialist with machines or…"

"Oh no!" The chubby man nearly yelled out. "I don't need anybody like that. We already tried every expert on the planet on every machine and most of them didn't leave the mill alive." The man took a cigar from his pocket and fumbled with the flashlight in-hand to clasp a lighter and light it.

Dante was looking at him now. "Would you mind focusing?!"

Looking at the demon slayer with surprised eyes, the man swallowed again and put away both his lighter and the cigar. "I'm sorry - its - we've just lost nearly four days of production and those corporate, 'white shirts' are getting a little sick of my excuses."

Dante nor Trish were fans of corporate America. Mainly because they felt it was a large infectious evil they couldn't stop. Dark, evil humans who sometimes were worse than any demon either of them had fought.

Then, the pudgy, nervous man said, "I wonder if they're worried about -" He stopped himself.

Catching it quickly, Trish asked, "Worried abut what?"

"I wonder if they're worried about the bad PR (public relations) this is going to cause?"

Trish rolled her eyes walking past the man but Dante stopped her. The little man looked at him confused wanting to lead them into the mill. Dante sneered at the guy hissing out, "That's not what you were going to say. Don't lie to me or her. Not the healthiest of decisions you could make right now." Wrapping one of his hands around the hilt of his sword. Dante wouldn't do anything to him but he knew he wouldn't have to.

With bulging eyes lowering his flashlight, the man let out an exhale of defeat from his failed lie, "I wonder if they're worried about him?"

Dante shifted his head a bit asking, "Who?"

"Dr. Terasawa."

Again, Dante shifted his head not sure who that was. Trish took a few steps past the pudgy manger of the mill listening to him as he went on.

He started with, "Dr. Terasawa had government backing. He picked this mill and the government paid us for him to stay in the facility. He and his bodyguard left after the machines began to malfunction. He tried to fix them but told us that it wasn't his field. I appreciated what little help he could give. You should have seen his profile on the net."

Trish turned to face the pudgy man again, asking, "Can you describe this doctor?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the man answered, "He was a young, oriental looking man. I think he was Japanese but he was born and raised in America. At least, that's what I learned online about him. His bodyguard though seemed American enough though."

"What did his 'bodyguard' look like?"

He looked at Dante, "Kind of like you. Except he had a black coat and had two swords on his back."

Dante and Trish both exchanged looks knowing exactly who this bodyguard was. Vegdax. This was no longer a goose chase. Dante pulled out his two guns along with Trish and the two began walking towards the mill. Swinging both their arms loaded with their weapons, Dante said to the pudgy guy, not even looking at him, "I'd get out of here if I were you. Things are about to get interesting."

Both the devil hunters walked towards the mill with purpose as the chubby guy ran off not wanting to know what the two were about to do inside the mill. They sauntered ready to handle their business. Dante was a step ahead of Trish as the two approached the steel, green doors into the mill.

With hate in his eyes constraining back his Devil Trigger, Dante took a step towards the doors and kicked them both in. Raising his guns cross-armed, he prepared for an onslaught. Trish came up right behind him aiming Ombra and Luce in all directions. The two willing and prepared for war.

There was no war to be had though as the two green doors fell inward and echoed out to an empty mill. Dead silence. There were only a few machines around with a few pallets loaded with steel ingots on them. Dante moved slowly uncrossing his arms, aiming his guns straight ahead to the right while Trish came up on the left. The two expert hunters clearing the mill as they moved. Back-to-back they moved inward into the mill on their guard.

The two circled the pallet loaded with steel ingots as they headed for the back of the mill. They crossed by a robotic arm that seemed to be palletizing the ingots. They then crossed by a small miller that seemed to still have a part in it. Dante nearly passed by when Trish caught his attention. Being careful not to raise any evil awareness, Trish silently tapped her foot causing Dante to turn towards her with guns at the ready. She just quietly pointed at the miller causing Dante to approached it. He lowered his two guns as he looked at the product in the miller. It looked like an arm made completely out of steel. It was etched with scales like armored snakeskin and had metal claws on the fingertips that would put a grizzly bear to shame. Serrated and at least a foot long, curved and thick, looking like jagged knives rather than claws.

Cocking his head, Dante whispered to Trish, "Somebody's been busy."

Suddenly, the two heard a sound from the ceiling making both of them aim their guns upwards. The professionals moved outward from each other so that their prey would be trapped in a hail of gunfire from both ends. Dante bumped up against a makeshift office and saw scattered papers and folders containing pictures and all kinds of different documents. Trish stopped just in front of a molding machine. She saw some movement but held back her impulse to fire.

Meanwhile, Dante edged his way towards the door of the small office as again he saw some movement from the ceiling. He lowered his guns a tad as he peered into the dark office seeing the loads of documents scattered about.

Nearly entering the small office, he heard a loud click behind him. Snapping on the target; bringing his guns up aiming at the enemy, he saw a metallic creature on the floor. Similar to Blades or Assaults he had faced in the past. Only this creature was robotic in nature. Its tail swung behind it to-and-fro made of metal and black wires. Its triangular-shaped head was adorned with razor teeth and a thin, glass visor of red light horizontally striped across it face for eyes.

Pouncing away, it screeched at Dante hopping to the right. By that time, Trish had arrived and locked her guns on the target. Both the devil hunters opened fire on the metallic creature trailing it with bullets. It pounced over machines and jumped from light fixtures using them as perches. Trying desperately to avoid the gunfire from both Dante and Trish.

Bounding from one big, titanic, iron-looking machine to another, it folded up like a small metal ball and landed inside another machine. Fitting nicely into a circular slot on the back of the equipment. The large machine it landed in rotated towards the two having large arms eject from it. It stood being a completely different entity. Standing over twelve feet tall, it lumbered over the demon killing partners as they stopped firing being somewhat amazed with the large contraption.

It took a step towards the two planting three blades-for-toes into the cement of the steel mill. One of its arms was a larger version of the steel arm they had seen earlier in the miller while the other was a rotating mace with spikes. Twisting with the spikes popping out across the steel ball. The mace articulated opposite the arm, both spinning, gaining momentum like a drill. The machine/demon let out this low bellow from its small head that was just a round ball; featureless in appearance, as it slammed the mace into the concrete making the two hunters dodge out of the way in opposite directions.

Concrete was flung in the air in multiple waves from the spinning weapon. It had made quite the hole as it lifted the weapon from the impact center.

Trish and Dante both fired up at the mechanical monstrosity dousing it in bullets. Steam poured from the impacting bullets wounding the metallic beast as it went down to one knee, swinging the mace and its clawed hand wildly.

Pulling his sword, Dante went in for the killer blow but the machine demon had something else in mind. It spun about pivoting its hulking body quickly, turning its back on Dante. Five holes on its back expelled five metal balls shooting out like rockets landing on the ground, hammering the cement floor. They folded out into metal versions of Blades like the one before which joined the group.

The hulking machine seemed to skate away from the two demon hunters neither hunter not knowing how it did that. It blasted through one of the large iron walls into another part of the mill leaving Dante and Trish with the five skulking, stalking metal creatures. Their tails swinging back and forth cunningly and angrily.

Dante gripped his sword tightly and smiled at the beasts, "This party's getting crazy!" One launched at Dante but all it got was Rebellion's blade in its mouth for its trouble being knocked back against one of the iron walls, smashing into the wall with half of it head missing. Two of the machine Blades whipped their heads at Dante in furry but all he did was spin Rebellion in a showy fashion asking himself, "Next?"

Trish crossed her arms and fired at one of the metallic Blades as she backed away from the creature as it dodged the bullets quickly. It launched for her but she just kicked it away with a crescent-kick making it fly into one of the machines, folding the machine and injuring the metal demon. It shook off the kick though and removed itself from the mechanical debris. It went for Trish as Dante, pouncing in front of another as Dante was already swing for that one. He caught both of them on his blade and cut both of them in half sending parts and black sludge everywhere.

Trish looked at him disappointed, "Hey, he was mine."

Dante was already locked on another one as he said, "Sorry sweet cheeks. Just couldn't keep away."

The two devil destroyers looked at the last remaining two with Trish asking, "How about I get the left, you get the right?"

Dante looked at the metal beasts tilting his head at the two, "I got a better idea." He swung Rebellion in front of him jumping in the air, plunging the sword deep into the one on the right having the other pounce backwards from him. He pulled his sword along with the dead creature's body from the cement flinging both the sword and the dead monster at the last remaining demon. The sword flew right for the creature as it hopped over the flying weapon. Rebellion sunk deep into an iron wall behind it while Dante tore his guns from under his coat sending a barrage of bullets at the creature tearing it apart, keeping it suspended, unloading round after round. Nearly a minute passed of unending onslaught before Dante let it fall to the ground pumping three last shots into its cranium as he walked away picking up his sword and kicking the dead body from the blade.

Walking back towards Trish, Dante watched her holster her guns saying to him sarcastically, "Gee, that was certainly a better idea. I'm glad you brought me along what with all this help you've been needing."

Swinging Rebellion back on his back, Dante said, "Oh come on, if I didn't bring you along, I would have been able to see you in that tight, black leather you always wear."

She crossed her arms on her chest turning her head from him, "Is that all I'm good for, eye candy?"

He walked past her simply saying, "No." Dante walked back to the small office and held out his hand towards it, pleasantly asking Trish, "I'll let you shoot the door down if it makes you feel better?"

She picked at her nails, "I'll let you. Wouldn't want to spoil all your fun."

Dante lowered his hand with a bored look, "Women." He took the door handle in-hand twisting the knob. Locked. Ripping the door from the hinges, he threw it to the side and turned on the light in the small office. Walking in, he was followed by Trish who slowly walked in with her red-clad partner.

A desk was at the back of the small office with a small window to the left and a few plaques decorating the cheap white walls. On the desk lay the files and papers. Dante was the first to look them over handing a few to Trish as he said, "Oh yeah, Vegdax has been here all right."

Trish looked at the papers inquisitively asking, "How can you tell?"

Dante showed her some printed off pictures of himself with some photo-shopped blood and dismemberment. "Call it a hunch."

She looked at the pictures disgusted. "Boy, he's really got it in for you!"

There were a few more pictures and documents that Dante sorted through. Pictures not of him. "Looks like I'm not the only one he's after."

Trish lifted her eyes from the papers in hand, asking, "Oh yeah?"

Dante lifted two red folders stuffed with papers and photos. He opened them looking at a teenaged boy with green hair. He flipped through the papers finding baby pictures of the child also having green hair. "Oh yeah." Dante said, throwing Trish one of the red folders with a smirk on his face.

She caught the folder and looked through it seeing the green-haired teen saying, "Well, isn't he a cutie!"

Dante flipped through the papers in his red folder saying, "Vegdax has got everything on this kid. From infant to misfit."

Shaking her head, Trish added, "Misfit? Not according to this Dante. Skipped Kindergarten at the request of his adopted parents to first grade and was given an academic achievement award during the second. Winner of over nine honor rolls, a penmanship award, P.E top of his class, and grade point average of 3.9 from seventh grade on up." Trish just made a small noise of wonder, "And that's just for the starters. You should see his high school football and basketball career stats."

Reading over other papers, Dante said coldly, "I don't have to. I got a medical history right here. No measles, mumps, chickenpox, or even a report of a head-cold."

Trish, slightly stunned, leaned over at Dante's red folder collection, "Are you serious?"

Looking up from his own file folder, he said, "Not one damn symptom. The only medical record here is for a hospital visit for fifth grade diving off a high board and smacking his head on the bottom of the school pool."

Trish looked at it curiously, "He went straight down, through the water? That's impossible."

Dante's eyes were drifting off. He remembered when he was a kid diving into a pool himself. He went straight to the bottom unaware of his superhuman strength at the time. He then spoke. "When he arrived at the hospital, there wasn't a scratch on him. Which contradicted what the gym coach had said."

"Something's very off with this kid."

"I know." Dante said, closing up the folder and flinging it back on the desk. Trish did the same as Dante continued, "We've got to find that kid. Vegdax is after him and I think he's been trying to find him for awhile."

"Why do you say that?" Trish asked as she began heading for the door of the office.

"Because he was at Gallery Lake. A camp for smaller kids but still, I think he was looking for this green-haired boy. Then again in Limbo City. If he's on his trail, he's got to be getting close if he has all this information on the tyke."

"but why here? Why a steel mill? It doesn't seem like the kind of place a kid would hangout."

"Maybe throw us off the trail? Maybe he just wanted to get some new swords? I don't have an idea but one thing I do know - is that that kid has demonic power."

Dante and Trish were both standing outside the office now with Trish asking a little surprised, "You sure about that?"

A loud metallic sound came from the back of the mill as Dante pulled Rebellion, "You know many kids with natural green hair color?"

Trish grasped Sparda saying to Dante, not even looking at him, "I don't know many kids anyway."

"Trust me, they don't exactly have Chia-Pets for hair."

Another loud metallic sound as the two rushed to the back of the mill to confront the noise maker.


	27. Of Steel & Blood: 2

There it was. The big steaming, mechanical monstrosity they had faced earlier. It was making a mess of the back of the mill. It slammed its arm into one of the big cauldrons of melted steel and tipped it over spilling the molten metal out.

The pool of fire ran right for Dante as Trish dodged out of the way. Dante stood firm at the edge of the molten steel stopping just mere inches from his boots. He looked up at the metal monstrosity from the liquid fire, "Well, you're just making a mess."

It slammed the mace into the ground tearing up the floor, giving Dante a low-tone hiss of steam mixed in with a demonic call. Lowering itself like an ape ready to attack. Sensing the evil energy in it, Dante spun his sword walking around the pool of molten steel, saying, "Oh, like I have never face down anything like you before? I know Vegdax didn't make you. So this Dr. Terasawa must have. I can't wait to make that psychopath's acquaintance. Being able to get demons to fuse or possess innate objects, I only know of one other guy to do that."

Quickly, Trish was on its back as she tried to plunge Sparda deep into the mechanical monster's back. It grabbed her though and flung her into a wall nearly knocking her unconscious.

Dante had Rebellion over his shoulder, shaking his head, "I tried to give you one Trish."

Trish heard him. Barely able to speak, she said with a cough, "This ones all yours."

Flipping his sword off his shoulders, Dante went full charge at the machine/demon but was stopped by the mace coming right at him. It hit hard driving him back against the wall, driving him right through the wall into another area of the mill.

The metal beast jumped through the hole coming after Dante. He got to his feet being staggered a bit. Nothing he couldn't handle shaking off being put through a cement wall. The giant metal beast threw its mace back at him but Dante jumped on its arm. He shook his index finger cockily and slashed at the monstrosity with several quick movements of his sword.

It crashed backwards through the wall grabbing Dante as it fell. It raked its metal claws into his anatomy and Dante let out a grunt of pain. Blood trickled from his mouth as he was thrown to the side like discarded trash. He got up quickly though.

Twisting its abdomen, the monster was also back up raging like a soon to blow boiler. Steam spewed from it with a hiss of hellish origins. It flexed its steel claws and went for a slash at Dante. Dante rolled out of the way and got to his feet. He slashed back at the monster cutting out parts of its mechanical anatomy. Five more slashes from Dante as the machine howled to the roof. It bashed the son of Sparda in the head sending him right to the ground. Trapping him under its damaged arm and planted the mace several times into his face. Dante felt his DT growing. The monster clasped Dante and then threw him into an empty cauldron.

His body bent metal and brought down several bronze-colored pieces on top of him. Each one probably weighing nearly half a ton. Trish had seen it and looked back at the mechanical monster. She went at it, swinging the Sparda wildly. She knocked the hilt against the floor and it switched into a scythe-like weapon. Jumping in the air, flying at the demon metal brute like a leaping cat, she went to burry the scythe blade deep in the metal beast.

It knocked her away like a useless insect though as she flew into a wall making a large hole. Crashing through the concrete wall, she rolled leaving a smoking trail of debris in her wake. She lost control of her weapon and the machine was on her in no time. She let out a blast of electricity and shocked the machine pumping out massive amounts of energy. The machine stumbled back from her as she fumbled to get a quick hold on the Sparda. It had reverted back to its sword form as she held it to her side. The machine was still staggered as she approached it, sauntering up to it with her eyes full of hate and anger. She slashed at it as it stumbled back again from the slash.

It shook its tiny head and sent out its mace after her but Trish jumped in the air missing the weapon all together. It bashed into a piece of machinery behind her and she glared evilly at the hulking machine demon. She slashed at it cutting its tiny head right off from in enormous body with a geyser of steam from it and a loud scream coming from Trish. A roar as deep as she could muster as she let loose with her power shocking the death machine still in midair. Before landing, she kicked the hulking demon away. She landed on her feet like a graceful dancer watching the beast topple over.

It spun its arms and twisted as it fell to the ground releasing massive amounts of steam and energy. Blue flashes could be seen in the steam being sent towards the ceiling. The blue light flowed upwards and Trish backed off never seeing a display of power before.

When the steam was gone and the lightshow was over, there was nothing left but an empty shell of metal. Trish sauntered up to it with the Sparda over her shoulder and kicked the scrap metal. "Huh? Thought he would last longer than that."

Suddenly, she heard a weird sound and got ready with her sword.

Dante was sitting on a piece of equipment clapping for Trish.

She relaxed and was glad to see he was okay. Smirking, she tossed her hair saying, "Thought you were out for the count?"

Dante jumped off the equipment walking up to her, "Well, you did say you wanted something to do. You looked like you were having so much fun I didn't want to spoil it."

Getting close to her, Dante was smiling at Trish and her back at him. She looked away and said, "Let's go, tell mister - whatever his name is that he's going to need a new factory."

Looking around, Dante watched a light fixture fall from the ceiling saying to himself, "His insurance is going to love this."

Trish made a slight laugh, "Let's hope so, it's the only way were going to get paid."

"You think they cover acts of demon possessed machines?"

Trish played with her blonde hair a bit, "I didn't think we even covered that." Before going out the main doors, she noticed Dante was not as close to her as he was before. She looked back and saw him standing in the middle of the factory with a sneer on his face. It made her nervous as she asked, "What do you sense?"

Scanning the factory with those stone cold, blue eyes of his, Dante replied, in a dark challenging manor, "Terasawa." He looked back at the rubble and chaos caused by the demon machinery. "Demons don't posses machinery. Only Agnus found out how to do that. Possession of the inanimate. And his experiments didn't come even close to anything like this."

Trish's eyes looked down at the cement floor. She then said, "Come on, lets get out of here. Will worry about one thing at a time. I think the kid is more important."

Dante whipped his head towards Trish with that serious stair etched in his face, "You're right."

They exited the building like two gunslingers leaving a decimated bar. They walked towards the limo waiting for them and the man from earlier was cowering in a corner over to the side of the building. He had his hands over his head hearing all the destruction in the building, asking the two nervously, "Is it over?"

Dante cocked his brow, walking towards the limo with a slight smile coming over his face, "Not by a long shot."


	28. The Night Life: 1

**(A/N: A while back in the review section, someone asked me if the agency was going to have a case in a strip club. While I had not thought of one at the time, I did think of one later. This is dedicated to that particular reviewer. I thought it was a good idea and would make for a good case. Enjoy!)**

* * *

Vergil drove up to the building and parked the car. The neon lights from the exterior of the building flooded the front seats with pink and purple coloring. The late night darkness gave the light an eerie, colored mist-like appearance. Outside the front door, there were ten men waiting to use an ATM.

Vergil looked at Dante in the passenger side, then in the back seat at Nero. Then back at Dante, "You sure about this?"

Dante smiled and patted Nero on the shoulder, "I'm always sure. The kid's betrothed! He needs a little relaxation time for tying the knot. We all do." Getting out of the car with a big smile on his face.

The night air was cold but felt good in Limbo City. The city was alive with cars and bustling people. Most were bundled up in coats and gloves. Dante, Vergil, and Nero all had those too but not for the same reason. They were without their tools as well. Except for Vergil. He was wearing concealed throwing knifes. He never went anywhere without a weapon. Of course, he didn't tell Dante that.

The three demon-blooded men began walking up to the building when a man at the ATM stopped them. "Hey, wait your turn buddy!" He said pushing Dante a little.

Twisting his head with compressed laughter, Dante said, "Why don't you go find a drunk tank, alright?"

The man stumbled with drunkenness, pushing Dante again, "You don't scare me buddy."

A woman at the front door with an all black attire of leather came over and began to fondle the drunken man. She said seductively, "Come on sugar, don't waste your time on him when you might get hurt. Then you won't be able to play with anybody inside."

The man melted in the woman's touch as she turned to Dante and said, "Hi Dante. Go on in, I got this."

Dante smiled, "Thanks Serena." He said as he headed for the front doors. Vergil passed by the black leather attired woman, saying, "Hi Serena." In his casual, monotone voice knowing her just as well as Dante did. Nero passed by and just nodded his head at her to be polite. He rushed up to Vergil asking, "What the hell kind of place is this?!"

Dante opened both doors and said with an upbeat tone, "Kid, welcome to the Eternal Treat!"

Nero walked in slowly as he looked around the strip club. He saw small stages everywhere with lights shinning all over and every color of the rainbow. The women on all the stages were very limber and very voluptuous. Every one of them seemed to be wrapped around a golden pole writhing and dancing to the loud music pumping through the expensive audio system. Nero had never seen anything like it as he caught sight of a few men around each stage with one or two women dancing alone, with another guy, or with each other.

The two brothers both left Nero standing at the front doors as each headed to a desired stage. Kyrie's fiancée was left alone as he walked slowly around the club in bedazzlement. As he passed each stage, the DJ introduced every girl like she was a show car at an auction.

"How you guys doing tonight? I hope the girls aren't treating you too nice out there. Now on our first stage is Candice. She likes moonlit walks in the woods, cheap dinners, and she even likes leashes from time-to-time when the mood strikers her."

Passing by the first stage, Nero gave a casual glance to Candice. He was slightly shy as she wiggled herself around on stage with only a tight pair of black panties and a red, spiked collar around her neck.

"On our next stage is the lovely Kareece. She's into the romantic types and never drinks…wine. She's got a grade score of 3.4 and she's barely out of high school boys!"

Passing by the next stage, Nero watched Kareece come out in a very revealing school uniform with a skirt that if it was any tighter on her, it would be cutting blood flow from her legs. Her shirt was open for all to see and she had a large sucker in her mouth. The school uniform on her didn't stay on for too long.

Nero looked down to the red velvet carpet and kept walking passing by three other stages. Two had girls on them and the last was empty. There was also half naked girls walking all around him. He was trying to head for Dante and Vergil but every other girl kept coming up to him and asking him for a lap dance. He just shook his head gentlemanly and kept walking.

Finally, he had gotten to Dante who was drinking a dark soda with strawberries in it and Vergil seemed to be having some kind of light blue drink. He sat down in between them and looked at both of them with frustration. "Why did you guys bring me here?!"

Dante was watching one of the strippers with a cat outfit on. "Oh come on! What, you're not having fun?"

Nero looked at him like he was nuts, "Fun?! I am about to get married and you bring me to a bar with naked ladies everywhere? Where am I suppose to have fun?!"

Vergil was staring straight ahead, not taking his eyes off a few of the dancers talking to a well-dressed woman. One he recognized very well. It was one of the owner's bodyguard. "Told you this was a bad idea Dante." Sipping from his blue drink.

Shaking his head, Dante patted Nero on the shoulder, "No its not. Kid's just got to get a little use to the idea." Dante looked around a bit until he found one of the dancers not on stage. "Charlotte?"

The voluptuous woman got giddy with excitement. Bouncing with her chest bare and fully shaking as she giggled. She ran over to the red-coated demon slayer with a peppy attitude. She waved 'hi' to him like a six year old girl would have. Wrapping herself around him nearly hiding his head in her chest. "Oh Dante! I've missed you!"

Dante laughed a bit and pushed Charlotte off of him. "Calm down sweetheart!" He motioned to Nero, "Charlotte, this is Nero. He's like us. Why don't you give him the Black Widow package."

Vergil snapped his head at Dante in surprise. "Dante, you did tell him, didn't you?"

Dante just shrugged off Vergil's question. "He doesn't need to be told. He'll love it."

Charlotte move over to Nero and wrapped her arms around his neck. She traced his chin with her index finger, "Hmmm, aren't you a sexy beast?!"

Nero looked around, his face getting redder than Dante's coat. His brain fighting a loosing war with his eyes to look at something else. Swallowing hard, "Well, I…uh…I'm about to be married."

Charlotte played with his white hair, "Oh, a dedicated boy. That's a real turn on!" she said letting her hand travel down to his inner thigh.

Nero didn't want to be rude but he was about to shove the woman off. He was not having a good time at all. He wanted Kyrie and Kyrie only to touch him.

Charlotte then said, "I bet your baby can't do this to you." she then opened her mouth wide with a hiss as two long canines showed themselves.

Nero pushed her down to the ground, yelling out, "Holy - she's a vampire!"

Dante and Vergil both got up and made a protective circle around Nero as all the girls got off the stages. Most of them walked towards Nero with their nearly finger long canines glairing at him. The one from before with the dog collar on ripped it off and ripped 'herself' right out of her flesh. Black hair flowed out of her as she grew in size and stretched out of her skin like a butterfly molting from a cocoon. She was a werewolf. She roared at the two nearly standing seven feet tall. She tromped over to the demon hunters as Vergil looked at Dante. "Should have told him!"

Dante put out his hands gently, "Ladies, this all my fault. He didn't know. Now, we're all friends here."

The big werewolf grabbed him by the collar and roared in his face having sharp teeth covered in drool thirsting for the blood of Sparda. She lifted him right off the floor.

Holding up his hands in jest, "Candice, come on. I didn't tell him. The kid just had a natural reaction. It happens in our profession."

Sneaking his hands to his hidden daggers, Vergil had already taken a combat stance. He would never admit it but he would protect his brother and Nero to the death.

He also noticed that the owner's bodyguard was nowhere to be seen. She was the toughest of all the women in the club. He was on the lookout for her. He could handle the regular dancers. It was the bodyguards he was worried about.

All the guys had left the bar as the DJ was left in his booth. He had a long stair at the three demon slayers. He didn't even seem to blink. He just stared at them. Motionless. Soundless. He stayed still as a statue, staring.

Nero was backing away slowly when he felt something hairy and big behind him. He reached back and felt muscle and hair. Getting a defeated look on his face he turned around looking at the giant anthromorphic wolf. He looked up at her putting out his hands, "Look…"

He was hauled off his feet by the werewolf as she roared at him. Nero could see all the way into her mouth and those teeth were soaked in drool. Instinctively, he threw up his feet and drop kicked the huge, hairy beast. It flew back flying through a wall and slammed into a car. It smashed the vehicle bending metal and collapsing glass. The werewolf shook its head and ran back inside the club after Nero.

Suddenly, a voice screamed out, "Enough!" A small man with a t-shirt and a black jacket yelled. He was walking down some steps and was followed by two big werewolves. The two were brown furred and bigger than any of the others in the club.

Vergil looked at the wolves behind the man. "There she is." Talking about one of them behind the man.

The man walked up to the vampires and werewolves right in front of the demon slayers. Looking over at the one with Dante still in her clutches, he said gently and calmly, "Candice, come on, put him down."

She snarled and huffed. She then put Dante down gently and walked away leaving the rest. The man said, "Good girl Candice. Go get cleaned up."

He then looked at the devil hunters as they got into a group together. He wrapped his hands around his back shaking his head, "Guys, you ruined my club."

All the vampires and werewolves walked behind the man wanting to hurt the demon slayers - bad. They hissed and growled at them. Only the small man holding them back. He put out his arms, saying to the girls, "Ladies, please. These two have always been honored guests." He looked at Dante. "What happened here Dante? I mean, I'm fine up in my office, I send Julian down here to get you guys to come up to my office for a job proposal, and I get down here -" He looks around, "And my club's a mess! What happened?"

Dante looked at Nero with a drawn, irritated look. Nero looked at him shrugging his shoulders, 'What?! How was I suppose to know they were monsters?!"

Vergil looked around with his hands close to his daggers. "Shut-up kid. You're just making it worse."

Nero looked at Vergil. "You knew about this too?!"

Dante said, "We both know. Even the guys in here knew about them being vampires and werewolves. This club is for guys with 'exotic' fantasies. They are different than demons kid. They're just like regular humans. Just trying to make a living and most of them live right here in Limbo City."

Nero just shook his head, "Why didn't you tell me before we came in here?!"

Vergil groaned, "Because he wanted to surprise you."

Throwing his arms up, Nero said still not believing it, "Oh yeah, you accomplished that!"

The guy approached and said, "Gentleman, if you would please." He said, motioning towards his office up stairs. The two werewolves behind him kept the others at bay as the three devil hunters followed the man up the stairs. Nero asked Dante, "Who is this guy? A vampire overlord? Some kind of alpha werewolf?"

Dante smiled back at Nero, "He's just a human."

Cocking his brow, Nero said with doubt, "A human?! He has that kind of control over the girls like that?!"

Vergil answered, "Kid, he is very well-respected with them. He treats them civilized and makes sure they are well taken care of. He treats them like ladies and that's why they listen to him."

Nero flashed a surprise look at Vergil, "They respect him?"

Dante answered, "Whole heartedly."

The four men enter an office where a vampire girl with a clipboard and a business suit was standing in the corner. She went up to the man talking business as Nero spied a name plate on his desk: Mr. Daly.

The three caught some of what the women was saying as her and Daly talked back and forth. The woman vampire began with, "Sir, some of the girls have been asking for more 'giving' customers."

Daly answered back, "I know. Those sick perverts! Those guys have no idea what human blood does to them. They get it, they want more of it." Daly rubbed his nose, "Alright, send Michelle and Argentina on stage on nights when Tantria and Gloria are suppose to work. I want them rotated out regularly. Keep Sandy on vacation."

"Sir, Sandy's dead, remember?"

"God - that's right! I'm loosing girls so fast I can't remember who I've lost. Sandy was such a good girl. Never bit a customer who didn't ask for it. She'd make those little cookies, you remember?"

The woman in the business suit nodded sadly, "I do, sir."

Daly nodded too, breathing a sigh of regret, "I miss them all."

The woman in the suit took away the clipboard and headed down stairs.

Dante, Vergil, and Nero were left there looking at each other. Daly sat at his desk with tears starting to accumulate in his eyes. He looked at the three drawing out a long sigh, "You guys might be my only hope."

Dante spoke first with actual care in his voice, "What is it Mr. Daly?"

Reaching into his desk with a sorrowful sniffle, Daly pulled out pictures of his dancers. He threw them on his desk asking, "Remember any of them, Dante?"

Dante scanned the pictures knowing every single girl. He looked back at Daly, "Yes, of course." He pointed at one picture, "That's Sandra."

Vergil looked at the photos and pointed to one, "Trisha."

Dante moved some of the pictures, saying with a bright smile on his face, "Kat."

Daly nodded his head and gathered the pictures. He put them back in his desk, "They're all dead Dante."

The red-coated demon slayer looked at his blue-coated brother. Both of them with identical looks of concern. Nero was actually getting nervous. He finally spoke up, "What killed them?"

Daly wiped his mouth in frustration. He got up with a huff of exasperation, "I don't know!" Throwing his arms out. He began pacing behind his desk, licking his lips, talking as he did, "It couldn't have been a human. Unless it was somebody like you."

Dante's stone blue eyes watched Daly. "Don't know of many human hunters who don't come to the club and don't know the employees are - otherworldly."

Daly snapped his fingers and pointed at Dante, "That's just it! There's not any! All the hunters I've seen at this bar know these girls are - something else." He rubbed his head nervously, "You saw it. That boy in the back - what's his name?"

"Nero." Nero said.

"Yeah, he sent one of my girls into a car frame and she shook it off. Whoever is doing this - is like you guys! Super strong! You know how my girls were found?!"

Vergil, in his monotone voice said, "Tell us."

Pacing back to his desk, "Well," Daly said sitting down, "One was found with her head ripped off in an alleyway. The other was filled full of stab wounds like she had been put in some kind of super deluxe iron maiden." He looked at the three with a frightened look on his face, "I know these girls! Some of them have been put in iron maidens before."

Vergil looked at Dante and he looked back at him. Identical stairs again from the two. Vergil asked, "What'd you think, demon?"

"Has to be." Dante said coldly and determinately. "Only a demon could rip up werewolves and vampires that bad."

Vergil thought out loud, "But what's the end game?"

Shooting his brother an angry look, Dante said, "Death and destruction. Just like always!"

Nero shook his head. "Hey Dante, why not anywhere else? You said that there are others in the city."

Dante almost disregarded Nero, "So! Yeah all over. Maybe it likes coming back here for murder. Maybe it's done this before just nobody noticed till now. Who cares?!" He turned his attention back to Mr. Daly. "We'll have this thing dead and dusted before the night's over."

Cocking his head at Vergil, Nero wanted him to press his matter with Dante. Vergil just put up his hand and waved Nero back. Sneering at Dante, Nero stayed silent behind his back.

Daly walked out from behind his desk and shook Dante's hand. "Thank you Dante. You are always a welcome guest here at the Eternal Treat."

Dante smiled back lightheartedly, "So nothing's really changed."

Daly smiled maliciously, "Well, not as far as the legal department is concerned."

Dante liked that. He turned and began to walk down stairs with Vergil and Nero not too far behind. The three of them heading back out to the car. Dante opened the driver side door and Vergil got behind the wheel. Bending down, Dante told his brother, "Scout the city. Shake some trees and see if a dead vampire or werewolf comes out."

Looking ahead, Vergil said with that machine-like demeanor, "I know what I'm doing, brother."

Slamming the car door, Dante looked at Nero. He pointed at the car. "You're with him"

Getting inside the passenger side, Nero asked Dante annoyed, "What are you going to do?"

Dante saw a phone outside the club, "I'm going to go shake my own trees." He then walked away from the two.

Snarling, Nero got into the car and slammed the passenger door so hard it broke right off the car. He looked down at it with a sneer. Vergil rolled his eyes and pulled out of park. Taking off down the street, Nero rolled his head being upset with Dante. "I can't believe were not following up on why its just attacking the bar!"

Focusing on the road ahead, Vergil said quietly, "Who says we're not?"

Snapping his head at Vergil with a little rekindled hope, "You mean we're going to find out why it's attacking just the club?"

Looking in the rearview mirror, Vergil answered calmly, "Dante wants me and you to comb nearly half of Limbo City looking for clues. Well, that just isn't happening. You were right. Why would it attack just the club and not anywhere else?"

"I don't know." Nero responded.

"That's what we have got to figure out."

Meanwhile, Dante put some change in the pay phone slot and waited for something to happen. Nothing. He looked at it and then noticed the slot for the coins was actually a card slot for debit and credit cards. He slammed the phone right off the wall looking around disgruntled.

Serena walked back out and handed him her cell phone, "You really need to get with the 21st century honey."

Dante took it with a smile. He called Morrison who spoke first, "Dante? Get a cell phone, will you? Your brother has one."

"Why do you think I don't have one. Listen Morrison, I need the limo to come by and pick me up."

"What?! Why?!"

"It the Eternal Treat, Morrison. Something wicked is going on down here and I sent Vergil and Nero off with the car to go investigate."

"Why, can't you drive? Nero could have just called me and picked up his bike."

"Morrison, I need those two combing Limbo City. And I need you looking up any kind of demon that could kill a werewolf or vampire with ease."

Morrison sighed over the other line knowing there was plenty, "I could name you at least twenty right off the top of my head."

"I need them all Morrison."

"Alright, anything else?"

"Yeah," He said looking at Serena, "Call the police down here. I want an armed escort taking these girls home tonight."


	29. The Night Life: 2

Vergil pulled up to an apartment building. He looked at Nero as he was in a foul mood. He looked at Vergil saying flabbergasted, "Two hours of searching and not a damn thing!"

Parking the car, Vergil looked around and in the back.

"What?" Nero asked annoyed and impatiently.

Vergil turned his head towards Nero like a machine. He got out and looked down the road behind the car. Walking out a little past the car. The silence was deafening to Vergil. Evil was in the area. Something had followed them. Vergil's eyes scanned the road as Nero hopped out of the car. "Come on, Vergil. I want to get home to Kyrie."

Waving Nero off, Vergil watched as a wet, ragged newspaper blew across the street. He wished he had Yamato with him. He actually went to reach for it but then realized his sword was back at the shop. He walked a few more steps when Nero said, before going into the apartment building, "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

Not even acknowledging him, Vergil kept his eyes locked on the street. A powerful evil was there. He stood in the street ready for anything. He huffed, "You want to keep hidden, don't you? Fine by me. I'll get you later." Vergil turned around flinging his coat and got back in the car, driving back to the shop. He needed his sword. The throwing daggers he had were nothing compared to Yamato.

Nero watched Vergil drive off and he was left with a perplexed look on his face. He buzzed the building and Kyrie answered with her usual scared tone to her voice, "Hello? Who are you?"

Nero smiled, "It's me Kyrie."

He heard her get ecstatic as the door unlocked. He rushed up the five flights to his apartment door and was greeted with a tight hug from Kyrie. She stared pecking his cheek with kisses. Nero did his best to walk into the apartment with his girl hanging off of him. "Alright. Okay. Kyrie, I was only gone for a few hours!" He closed the door behind him and walked over to the table in front of him. It was a mess with letters and bills.

Finally letting go of Nero, she stood there with her nightgown on. She folded her hands in front of her, "You know I'm always worried when you're out chasing those…things."

Nero sorted through the mess on the table, "Demons dear. They're demons."

With worry etched on her face, Kyrie asked, "They can kill you, can't they?"

Nero looked up from the table and hugged her gently, "Honey, nothing is going to happen to me. I won't let it. I love you too much." The both of them kissed passionately and Nero had to struggle to pry himself away from her red lips. Being in a club full of dancing women had not helped him. Seeing his betrothed in nothing more than a white, thin nightgown, it made him uncomfortable.

Going back to the papers on the table, he looked through a few grabbing them. "What is this?" He asked showing a few envelopes to Kyrie.

She looked away with sadness, "Bills."

Nero tore them open and looked at them. He looked away seeing figures he couldn't pay on his salary at the shop. They lived in a small apartment that had one light above the table, a small bathroom, and a bedroom that could barely fit a double-wide bed with a small cabinet of books.

He wanted to tear them up holding the bills in his hand. Instead, he threw them on the ground and said to Kyrie, "We've got to get out of this dump."

She walked over to the kitchenette area and she showed Nero a white plate with two sandwiches on it. "I made you some sandwiches." Saying it brokenheartedly. She nimbly walked over with them and Nero put his hands on his hips aggravated. He stared past her with a mean look on his face. "We don't have anything else in the apartment, do we?"

She looked down ashamed shaking her head.

Taking the plate with the Devil Bringer, Nero harshly sat down at the paper-filled table and started eating one of the sandwiches. Taking his foot, he dragged one of the four chairs over to him and sat his foot hiked in the air with the other on the floor. Staring at the mound of bills and papers, Nero said to Kyrie with a wince at the sandwich in his mouth, "Is this baloney and mustard?"

She sat down next to him smiling weakly, "Yeah. Is it okay?"

Nero winced and swallowed, hating every tinge of mustard on his tongue, "Spectacular."

She watched him for a few seconds before asking, "How was work?"

Nero paused with the last bit of the first sandwich in his mouth. The oily taste of baloney and the tinge of mustard gagging him but he was so thrown off that he swallowed and said unconvincingly, "Fine."

Kyrie looked at one of the bills and messed with it nonchalantly. "Why don't you ever want to talk about work?"

Tapping his Devil Bringer claws on the table, Nero struggled to find the right words, "Kyrie, we've been through this. You don't want to hear about it. I certainly don't want to tell you about it."

She just looked at the table and said, slightly annoyed, "I just want to know how your day was."

Nero took another large bite out of the second sandwich. "It was rough, dear. They always are." He tried hard not to spit out the bite on the floor.

With big, sympathetic eyes she told him, "Maybe I should pick up a second…"

Nearly breaking the table in half, Nero slammed his fist, "You're not working! I am not having you working! You just keep looking for a theater to sing in. Or an opera house or something! I didn't have a choice in what I do but you do! You want to be a singer. By God, nothing is going to take that away from you. Especially not me!"

Her eyes watered as she threw herself at him in a hug. He hugged her back nearly dropping the disgusting sandwich on the floor. He hugged her tight listening to her, "I love you so much! I love you Nero. No matter what! No matter what happens." She said, her free hand feeling the Devil Bringer making it glow a golden, luminescent, "I love you."

Nero sat there in her embrace and his hands began to travel south. He began to feel her hips and tonight's extra curricular activities had stirred something inside of him. He went to feel her butt but there was a hard knock on the door.

They both disappointedly bowed their heads together. Both kissing passionately, Nero said, "I'll get it."

He lifted Kyrie off of him and approached the door. "Yeah, who is it?"

Another hard knock and Nero watched the door nearly come off the hinges. Stopping in his tracks, he looked at Kyrie and pointed to the back bedroom. She raced to the bed and pulled out the Red Queen and the Blue Rose. She couldn't lift both though and just dragged the Queen to Nero ripping up the little carpet they had.

Meanwhile, Nero was next to the door, "We're paid-up for this month." Approaching cautiously, he saw Kyrie coming in with his Red Queen. Nodding, he thanked her silently.

She smiled.

The front door violently blasted apart into splinters throwing Nero into the piled-up paper table breaking it into pieces. He landed on the ground a little out of it. Shaking his head, feeling like he had been hit by a freight train, Kyrie went to his side dropping the Red Queen. Nero sat up with his woman by his side looking at a horrific sight.

A large werewolf grabbed the side of the door frame and entered with a roar. Showing Nero and Kyrie its gigantic teeth. It was so big, it busted through the plaster of the apartment and turned the door frame into a giant, destroyed hole. It was hunched over at being nearly twelve feet tall. Nero bounded up and grabbed the Red Queen putting out the Devil Bringer to protect Kyrie.

It stomped in with red glowing eyes and looked like its black fur was covered in some kind of gelatinous ooze. Its claws were thick and discolored yellow. Its muscles bulged and its fur was blacker than the night sky. Almost looking like oil because of how much of the ooze it seemed to be secreting.

Putting the point of the Red Queen down on the floor, Nero revved his sword saying, "You know, I don't remember you from the club. You must be one of the new girls. My name's Nero -" He charged the Red Queen's blade searing hot with it glowing nearly purple. "Welcome to the rest of your life."

The giant werewolf roared out and went at Nero nearly tackling him. Nero pushed Kyrie out of the way into the kitchenette taking a slash with his sword at the beast dodging as well. Fire ripped through the apartment but nothing caught ablaze. The wolf moved fast bashing through the small island into the kitchenette area. It roared out and went for a slash with its claws against Nero and Kyrie. Pushing his girl away to keep her protected, Nero evaded the slash and went for a twisting slice slashing at the werewolf. Blood flew from it and landed on the floor. He had scored a giant gash in the werewolf's arm. The monster growled against Nero holding its wound. It snarled at Nero as the gash healed fast. Nero tried to push Kyrie back into the bedroom away from the beast but it was quick even being compressed in the tiny apartment.

Knocking Nero to the ground, it grabbed Kyrie by her arm hauling her up into the air. It looked at her deviously as she screamed loudly for her life. She felt so useless as the giant had her in its clutches. Roaring right in her face, it took her in a firm grip. It shoved her head in its mouth with full intentions of biting down, chomping her in-half.

Nero yelled out behind the beast. "No! Kyrie!" He lashed out with the Devil Bringer punching the werewolf in the ribs knocking Kyrie from its clutches and sending the monster into the bedroom. It bashed through their bed breaking it apart and some of the floor.

Kyrie was down on the ground and Nero rushed to her side. He cleaned her off of the thing's drool looking at her concerned. He asked more times than he could count, "Are you alright? Are you okay?" Repeating the two questions over and over as Kyrie tried to tell him she was fine. She still stayed on the floor though in minor shock. Smelling the things breath and looking straight down it's throat. Feeling that that would be the last thing she would ever see.

"Son of a -" Nero said getting up heading into the bedroom grabbing the Blue Rose from off the floor. He saw the hole in the floor and his destroyed bed but didn't find the big werewolf. He held the Blue Rose in front of him shouldering the Queen. He listened and sensed for the werewolf. Something was bugging him about this one. It didn't feel like the werewolves or the vampires at the club. They felt mostly human but sick. Like the way his senses picked up a human with a disease or a virus. This thing felt more like a demon.

The beast blasted through the hole grabbing Nero by his ankles. It threw him down into the next apartment and jumped back into his apartment. It stalked Kyrie raising its arm with a snarl. Showing it forearm to her, small spikes popped out of its skin and it launched them right at Kyrie. She ran away but one caught her in the leg and made her trip. It tromped towards her with a snarl and it chomped its teeth at her wanting to taste her delicious flesh.

Suddenly, the Devil Bringer came right through the hole tearing apart the floor and grabbed the werewolf by the leg hauling it down to Nero's level. The wolf was dragged through the floor's weak wood and crashed into the apartment below.

Kyrie dragged herself to the large hole where the door frame use to be with the spike still sticking out of her leg. She dragged herself to a phone in the hallway of the apartment building and called the only person she knew could help Nero and her. Morrison.

On the lower floor, Nero punched the werewolf several times in the face and chest with the Devil Bringer bashing it right through the floor into a lower section. The beast fell into a tub of someone's bathroom as Nero followed down with his Red Queen set a blaze, wanting to slice the monster in-half.

The werewolf roared up at him watching him fall towards its body. It lashed out with these thin, black tentacles flying upwards at Nero. They entangled him and flung him into the side wall sending him careening through a sink, a medicine cabinet, and the wall itself.

Tumbling into a small bedroom where an older couple were awakened holding the sheets close to themselves, they watched in utter horror as Nero was in a low, defensive posture casually glancing at them, "Sorry about the mess folks." He said arrogantly.

Charging out of the bathroom, the werewolf grabbed Nero and bashed him through several walls goring him through apartment after apartment. Nero not being able to ignore the pain his whole body was starting to become racked in. The two crashed into a large apartment exploding through a large kitchen. Nero's body was thrown downward on the floor making it skid on the wooden tile floor, ripping up boards and splinters.

He didn't get up fast from this one, rolling out of the small valley his body had made. Coughing a bit, Nero stumbled to his feet as the wolf grabbed him by the face digging its large claws into his forehead and chucked him out through a window down to the alleyway below.

Crashing through the glass falling down onto the street below, he smashed into the sturdy pavement of the alleyway like a plummeting comet. A debris cloud was kicked up and Nero stood tired. This werewolf was kicking his ass.

The wolf flew out of the broken window and Nero stood firm as it landed on him driving both through the street. They landed in the sewers below landing in dark, murky water as the only light coming in the sewer was from the moon itself.

Dragging himself up, Nero stood soaked in water as the wolf shook itself off easily. It snarled at him as Nero spit, "Come on, I'm just getting started." He said a little out of breath.

Charging, the wolf came at him with its claws outstretched ready to rip Nero to pieces. Nero casually sliced his sword at the wolf slicing its hand completely off. It veered off its destructive path and looked at Nero snapping its teeth and licking its chops evilly. Nero swung his sword with a little restored vigor watching the huge beast like a hawk.

Hearing an oozing sound; not like he was surprised being in a sewer, he looked down seeing the severed hand turn into a black gel and fly towards the wolf. Watching in shock, the black sludge became part of its anatomy becoming a hand and forearm attaching to its master. Nero retracted his neck and put the Queen on his shoulder, "Didn't know werewolves could do that!"

Attacking again, the two went back and forth. The wolf scored two shots to Nero's face ripping four, long, red streaks down his cheeks. Nero landed three sword blows and even got in five shots with the Blue Rose. The wolf landed hard in the water from the shots from the Blue Rose. Nero spun with his sword putting it back on his shoulder and the Blue Rose at the ready. His wounds healed quickly as he said to the werewolf, "You big guys are tough. But I'm tougher. And you tried to hurt Kyrie." That last part sounding demonic. He continued with that evil thrum to his voice, "No one hurts Kyrie!"

Nero stabbed the ground and revved the Red Queen going for an upward slash powered by heated fire. The blade flamed with its natural imbuement and Nero's rage. He sliced right through the wolf and sliced it right in half watching it fall to pieces splashing into the waste water. Nero stood in the water with the Red Queen on his shoulders.

He exhaled hard nearly falling to his knees. The wolf had given him a hard fight but he had won in the end. Now it was time…for…him…to…

Nero looked back and watched the two pieces of the halved wolf come together like a Venus Flytrap closing its buds. His weapons hung limply at his sides. "No way!"

The wolf shook its head and growled at him with its red eyes glowing like newly relit fires of Hell. Nero readied both weapons but the wolf tackled him and gored him into a brick wall blasting him through the sturdy brick and stone. He landed with the wolf on top of him slashing and clawing at his face. Nero was being turned into a mangled mess of a man. He charged the Blue Rose and pushed the two barrels right into the temple of the wolf. He shot and blew the wolf's head apart. He kicked the headless body off of him and nipped to his feet. Standing victorious, he sent out the Devil Bringer and grabbed the wolf decapitated corpse. He crushed into nothing watching pieces of anatomy fly from his grip and the only thing recognizable of the strong wolf was its legs.

Heading towards the hole, Nero's face began to heal as he looked at the Devil Bringer still having the wolf's blood. Black. Just like the sludge from earlier. It dripped from his blue and red, demonic arm as he sniffed it. Brimstone. Nero turned were he had left the destroyed wolf, "A demon?!"

Reforming, the wolf was back huffing and angry. It stomped towards Nero as he readied his sword. "What does it take to kill this bastard?!"

Both of them snapped their heads hearing a sound before starting the next round. A splash. Two men. Very skilled warriors. Nero also heard a voice he knew well. An older man's voice full of combat hardness and worry for him. Morrison.

The wolf growled at Nero and took off. Nero outstretched his arms barely able to stand. "Where're you going? We're just getting started!"

Watching the wolf disappear into the sewer system, he took a knee as he was still trying to regain some of his spirit. He had been hurt from the wolf exhausting him.

Both Dante and Vergil entered the sewers with Vergil standing over Nero with Dante kneeling next to him, "That bad huh?"

Nero looked at Dante, "Did you see the mess upstairs?"

Dante nodded his head. "Oh yeah." Looking around, "Where is it?"

Vergil paced off looking for it.

Pointing off in the way it took off, Nero said, "It went that way. I lost it."

Vergil poked his head around a few small places. "Well, it's gone now." Scanning the small areas of the sewer system, Vergil asked, "It was a werewolf, right?"

Nero nodded his head getting up to his feet. He put back the Red Queen and took long breaths.

Dante looked at Nero, "So where did it go?!"

Nero looked at Dante frustrated, "I don't know!"

Walking back towards the two, Vergil was pointing at Nero with his brown gloved hand, "This can't be right."

"What?! Why?!" Nero nearly yelled out.

"Because a werewolf would have needed a bigger exit. It would have crashed through something in this chamber making its own way out. You sure this was a werewolf?"

"Black fur, long claws, dog looking head, looked like one of the strippers from the club? Sound like a werewolf to you?!"

Vergil put down his hand and walked out.

Dante helped Nero out of the sewer systems when the three demon hunters met Morrison just outside the apartment building.

The police had already showed up dressed like well-armed military. Armored from head-to-toe with combat rifles. They had to be. Limbo City was an extremely dangerous place. They had already set up an armed perimeter and the four men went upstairs back to Kyrie and Nero's destroyed apartment.

When they got back, Kyrie hugged Nero and Nero hugged her exhausted. Morrison, Dante, and Vergil let them have a moment as they inspected what was left of the apartment. He took Kyrie over to a safe spot in the apartment while the others stepped over the rubble. Vergil had his arms crossed in the corner while Morrison and Dante inspected the kitchenette area. Both him and Morison bent down with Dante asking the old war-horse, "What do you think?"

Morrison removed his hat, "I think we were lucky when we got here."

Dante looked at Kyrie and Nero, "Thanks for taking care of her leg."

Morrison shrugged, "No problem. Haven't done a field dressing like that since my time with SAS."

Dante and Morrison both stood up. Morrison asking, "You guys got a chair left?"

Nero looked around and saw a lopsided, wooden chair. It was scratch up but still in one piece. He handed it to Morrison as the old expert took it thanking Nero. "Not as young as I use to be. Can't stand for too long. Damn shrapnel in these old knees."

Kyrie nimbly walked towards Morrison, "Would you like something to eat?"

Morrison waved her off, "No thank you dear." Putting his hat back on. "Alright, so anybody got a guess what we're dealing with?"

Dante shrugged.

Nero declared, "Yeah, it was werewolf."

Vergil looked at Nero, "Maybe a possessed one. A werewolf couldn't hammer you like that. Hit you that hard and tear up an apartment building? No, I don't think so."

Morrison wiped a small bead of sweat from his forehead, "Actually, Vergil's the closest but even a possessed werewolf would look differently that an actual werewolf."

Dante silently agreed.

"See, a demon can hide in a human body no problem but a demon in a vampire or a werewolf? They magnify each other becoming an invincible killing machine."

Nero huffed in aggravation, "Seemed to be one to me."

Morrison eased his sights to the young demon slayer, "Yeah. Because what you fought was just as powerful, if not more so. What you fought doesn't need possession to make itself stronger. It's probably one of the most powerful demons in Hell without a true master."

Dante was intrigued, "What Morrison?"

With the brim of his hat hiding his eyes, Morrison said with an unease in his voice and his hands clasped together, "A doppelganger."

Both Nero and Vergil asked, "A what?"

Morrison raised his head so his tired eyes could be seen, "A doppelganger." He got up continuing with his hands rubbing themselves out of nervousness. "A doppelganger is much like a naga. It has no demon lord that rules over it. They are freelance. But unlike a naga, who usually travels in a group or are just out to cause random chaos and death, a doppelganger is a precise assassin. Think of it like this: If nagas are the mercs of Hell, then a doppelganger is an elite assassin. When a human, or in some lore an angel, needs taken out and none of the demon lord's tricks are working, they hire a doppelganger." Getting more animated with worry, Morrison was trying to drive his point home. "They come at their targets with a drive that would rival any other demon. The don't have a form you can attack either. With every new form they take, they get stronger. They incorporate that being's power into them becoming unstoppable engines after their targets. They don't speak, fight, or even move with their own bodies because they don't have one. All they know is what they have absorbed and they focus in on hate and drive. They are such precise assassin's that they rarely miss a target. There's even lore that they are mostly used more for angel demolishing rather than attacks on humans. Even an excerpt in the Sparda legend tells he fought a powerful doppelganger!"

Dante put up his hand, "Alright Morrison. Sunday School's over. How do we kill it?"

Morrison took off his hat as he paced, his brow soaked in sweat. His grey mustache curling in contemplation. "All you can do is send them back - with fire."

Putting his foot forward, Nero said directly, "Yeah, I already tried fire. It didn't do jack to it! I cut that thing into several different pieces and all it did was jump up and smile at me."

Morrison just cocked his brow, saying, "Let me put this differently. You need to incinerate it! You need a fire big enough and burning long enough to cook the thing to a crisp."

Dante and Vergil were mirrors of each other. If they didn't wear so much different attire and weapons, they really would be twins. Both of them with their hands closed thinking.

It was a rare sight for Morrison seeing the twins identical of each other. He slightly relishing it. He waited patiently before asking, "What is it guys?"

Vergil spoke first, saying to Morrison, "Something's not right. Who was the target?"

Dante stayed silent thinking.

Morrison shrugged his shoulders, "Probably one of you three. That's why it started killing the girls at the bar. It wanted your attention."

Kyrie looked at Nero, "What bar? You don't drink."

Nero's eyes went wide and looked at Dante for an excuse.

Just shrugging his shoulders before going back to his contemplative position, Dante said innocently, "Hey kid, you're on your own."

"They took me to a bar but I didn't have anything to drink."

Vergil was thinking out loud, "Had to be Dante."

Dante looked at his brother, "That doesn't make any sense, if the bar is this thing's hunting ground, then it would have gotten me. It tailed you and Nero. It's got to be after him."

"I gave it ample time to come at me. It just stayed hidden." Vergil telling the group.

Morrison shook his head, "Can't be Nero. It wouldn't have bailed on him. It would have fought all three of you to kill him if that was the case."

"So who?" Vergil asked.

Dante walked towards the hole where the door use to be and looked back at them, "Who cares?! I want to kill this thing fast! I got a pretty good idea where its hiding. Morrison, stay with Kyrie. You guys, come with me."

Nero and Vergil both followed Dante. Not before Nero kissed Kyrie as she held his hands. "Come back to me, okay?"

He kissed her hard on the lips, "You know it." He walked out with Morrison saying to him, "Nero!"

He looked back.

"Try to remember what you're dealing with. All doppelgangers - all of them - are born in Hell. They get more powerful with every form they copy. It probably knows tons of fighting techniques and millions of tricks. Not just physical ones either."

Nero cocked his head, "Why not tell them that?" Angrily pointing in the direction Dante and Vergil had left in.

Morrison sat next to Kyrie, "Because they don't have a family and they have been at this a lot longer than you have."

Nero pounded the outer rim of the large hole being insulted that they still treated him like a rookie.


	30. The Night Life: 3

"Okay, so what are we doing back here?" Nero asked in the back seat of the rental car.

Dante looked back at Nero, and asked him, "If you were an assassin who missed his target and wanted another good chance, where would you hide?"

Vergil answered for him, "In plain sight."

Making a signal of agreement, Dante and Vergil both got out of the car with Nero rolling his eyes. The three staring at the Eternal Treat club.

Walking towards the front door, the three discussed a plan. Nero was first, "So, we got a plan?"

Dante shrugged. "You're going to have to be the one to liquidate it."

Vergil commented, "You're the one its after. Don't worry we'll be there to help you kill it."

Nero tried to ignore that last comment. He didn't need there help. He could handle the thing on his own knowing now what they were facing.

Kicking the door into the club, Dante stood ready with his two handguns while Vergil had Yamato slight unsheathed. The two brothers entered first with Nero brandishing the Blue Rose. Expertly they walked in as the bustling strip club was empty. Even the DJ booth was hollow. The lights were still rolling around the place but there was no music and no girls. It was an eerie sight to the sons of Sparda. Having been in the club never seeing it this dead before.

Daly was the first one they saw coming down to the club floor from his office. He yelled out with a calm shock towards the front door, "Guys, you could have called! You didn't have to kick my door in!"

The three devil hunters swung their weapons towards him, Vergil saying carelessly, "It could be anybody."

Daly put up his hands up, swallowing hard in fright, "What?! What are you guys talking about?"

Dante stood at a wide-legged stance with both guns trained on Daly, "There is only way to be sure it's not him."

Looking at his brother, Vergil said, "Do it."

Nero looked at his partners, "Do what?"

Daly still had his hands up and had wide eyes full of fear, "Yeah, do what?!"

Unleashing with a hailstorm of gunfire, Dante fired right at Daly not missing a single shot. Nero jumped and knocked Dante's arms down yelling at him, "What the hell are you doing, man?!"

Dante had a sly smile slide across his face. He looked at Nero saying, "You don't honestly think I would hurt him, do you?"

Nero snapped his head at Daly and he was still alive with not a scratch on him. Standing there with his eyes shut and his hand up. He opened his eyes slowly asking himself, "Am I alive?!"

Vergil smirked, "Our weapons can't hurt the righteous. Good humans are off our hit list."

Nero aimed the blue Rose and fired aiming right for Daly's head and it was like he fired a weak blank.

Daly screamed out, "Enough! I've already died twice of heart attacks!"

Nero smiled, "I'll be damned!"

Looking around, Vergil said thinking out loud, "Alright, so its not him."

"Nope." Dante said scanning the club.

Daly looked at the demon killers, "I'm not what?"

"A Doppler." Nero said.

"Doppelganger." Vergil corrected. "You're you Daly."

Daly fixed his jacket, "Well of course I'm me."

Another person came from up stairs. It was his vampire secretary. She walked up to the men with her clipboard. "Sir, I have next week's financial reports."

Daly looked at her clipboard. It said: _DIE!_

"What the…" Daly asked but she smashed the clipboard over his head. He laughed faintly and fell to the ground unconscious.

She threw the broken pieces at him and stood over him growing these huge claws and bent over him surrounding his heart with her deadly claws.

The young knights aimed for her but she deviously said, "Stop! Or I rip his righteous heart from his chest!"

The three lowered their weapons. Nero pushed his way through the two saying, "I'm right here. Take me."

Her eyes glowed red saying to Nero, "You?! You stopped me from getting to my target tonight. I am not going to make that mistake twice! Now, bring me that bitch!"

Looking back at Vergil and Dante confused, Nero saw they were just as baffled. He looked back at the doppelganger, "Who?"

She ripped open Daly's shirt saying, "You know who! Don't toy with me! I want her brought here and I mean right now!"

Vergil quickly snaked past Nero as she went to plunge her claws deep in her prey's chest. Vergil was faster though and sliced her right up the middle knocking her off Daly. He picked up the unconscious owner and tossed him to Nero, "Get him out of here Nero. Dante go with him." He turned his attention back to the already healed secretary. " This little hellion is mine!"

Dante pushed on Nero to leave and they left quickly, Nero and Dante not knowing what Vergil knew.

The secretary got to her feet and had these yellow claws blast out of her fingers looking like discolored, curled daggers. She growled at Vergil with her mouth full of teeth that looked like they belonged on a shark rather than a vampire. A giant scorpion-like tail launched out of her and she swung it seductively. With a demonic growl to her voice sounding neither male nor female, "Give me the girl, now!"

Holding tight to the hilt of Yamato, Vergil said aggressively, "You're not touching her! That's my family! I'm going to send you so far down in the pit, it'll take a rocket ship to get you back here again!"

She felt herself-up seductively saying, "Like where you were?" Referring to when Vergil was Neo-Angelo in the service of Mundus.

Sneering at her, Vergil charged at her swinging Yamato quickly. She pounced on the stage and kicked him in the face sending him down to the ground face first. He now understood how this thing had beaten-up Nero so easily. Jumping on his back, she clawed and sliced at his back. He rolled and swung for her face but she was just as quick as he was. Spinning her body by the tail on the pole she came at him flying through the air like a cat and dug those large claws into his face. Being back on his feet he was knocked back by her, nearly tripping backwards. He was driven back trying to fight but she dug those claws deep into his face.

Suddenly, she was tossed off of Vergil as Dante stood there wincing at the claw marks, "Ooh, I bet that hurt."

Vergil's wounds healed up quickly with blood running from them. He exasperated, "You have no idea!"

Feeling a tug on his coat, Dante was launched into one of the stages being thrown right through the large mirror behind it, bashing into the dressing room in the back.

Spinning Yamato, Vergil ran at the doppelganger going for a slice but she spun herself, having the blade fly between her legs, and kicked Vergil right in the face sending him down to the ground. She stood up and flew off the stage with a flying kick driving her foot deep into Vergil's face.

He was knocked back and she mounted him pushing him down with her arms overlapping his chest and her tail swaying back-and-forth. The tail reached back and went to stab him with its stinger but he moved his head as it went to drive itself through his cranium as the secretary clone tried to pierce his skull.

Both of his hands were trapped as he tried to fight back. He struggled but he couldn't get to her. Nearly Devil Triggering, Dante walked sloppily out of the broken glass and readied Rebellion. He lashed out behind her but she rolled off of Vergil and Dante sent his sword right through his brother's chest. Vergil screamed out with pain as Dante let go of Rebellion with shock. He didn't mean to stab him own brother.

The doppelganger used that shock to her advantage and wrapped her legs around his neck bringing him down to the ground. Dante chocked and coughed against the monster not believing her strength as she strangled him with her thighs, saying to him angrily, "After I'm finished with you, I'm going to kill her slowly. I will drink her blood like a thirsty man in desert! Chomp down on her delicious innards. And maybe for giggles I'll eat her soul!"

Reacting fast, she let go of Dante as a flaming blade came at her like a tidal wave of fire. Nero missed as Dante choked and coughed for air. Nero sent out the Devil Bringer going for her as she easily dodged it with a cartwheel. Standing in front of Dante, Nero swung the Red Queen charging the throttle on the hilt. "Supper's canceled demon! You ready for round two?!"

She smiled with those razor teeth of hers as two extra arms ripped from her ribs. She was starting to look less like a copy and more like a jumbled mess of limbs.

Nero clenched the Devil Bringer and looked at his demonic arm, "I go for quality instead of quantity."

Launching at him she tried to latch on to him like she had with Dante but he punched her hard sending her through a wall. Helping Dante up while she was down, the both of them looked at Vergil. Dante breathed hard taking a hold of Rebellion's hilt. He ripped the sword from his brother's chest as Vergil screamed in agony. Breathing iradic as Rebellion's tip came from his anatomy and he doubled over in pain. Blood seeped from the wound and he had to be picked up by both devil hunters. Rebellion had done a number on him. He could barely walk as Dante carried him to the car. Nero watched patiently as Dante helped his brother.

Not noticing the doppelganger's tail wrapping around his throat. It coiled around his neck and began strangling the life out of him. He held tight to the Red Queen and clawed at the tail with the Devil Bringer. She rushed up behind him, telling him in his ear, "You're the only obstacle I've got left. The other two can't even handle me! You don't even know how to stop an angel killer like me!"

Nero choked out, "You've never killed an angel in your life!"

She agreed. She hadn't but looked back at him, "So what?! I can kill you easily!"

"Easily?" Nero asked outstretching that demonic arm of his and watched as his fingers turned into curled daggers, "I can do that stuff too!" Digging deep into her scorpion tail he drew black sludge blood and made her scream in agony uncoiling her tail from around his neck. She tried to escape but he kept his serrated claws deep in her tail. "Where do you think you're going sister?!"

Picking her up, swinger her, Nero twirled her like a lasso above his head throwing her through the roof. He jumped through the hole left in the roof, spinning in midair to make himself go higher. Bringing the Red Queen down on his air-born opponent, he sent her back down to Earth, driving her deep into the floor of the club landing her in a three foot deep hole.

Dante came racing back in with canisters of gasoline soaking her having siphoned it from the rental car. They left a trail out of the hole in the wall as the two walked to the end of trail. Nero stabbed the ground and revved his blade. The doppelganger stood soaked in gasoline looking at the two with a grimace of vengeance. Roaring out, "I'll be back for her!"

Nero's blade pulsed red hot as he said, "Good. Then I can burn your pretty little ass all over again." He sliced the Red Queen across the ground flaming it like a struck match. The flames caught the trail of gasoline and set the demon on fire. She stood in the flames roaring out as she morphed in the fire like she was trying to change into a form that would protect her from the flames. There was nothing in her mutation arsenal as she rolled into a fetal position with several screams of different voices overlapping each other. A burnt image appeared on her head. The mark of Argosax. The fire plumed in the hole and roared out after the devil hunters exploding with force, blasting out half the building. The explosion rocked the two sending them onto their backs leaving the club burning to the ground as what was still intact would soon be destroyed by constant, burning fire.

On their backs, Dante said, "Daly's not going to be happy about this. Had a running tab. I guess that got blown too."

Nero heckled out, "You'll just charge it to Morrison's account again."

"Which he'll charge to mine."

Nero sat up saying, "I wonder if she was after Lady?"

Sighing with frustration, Vergil came around the building with his hand to his chest. The wound was healing slowly but there was still blood pouring from it. He groaned with a slight bit of his red fluid, life essence dripping from his lips, staring at the burning building, "It wasn't after Lady or Trish."

Nero asked getting tired of the vagueness of it all, "Damn it, then who?"

Vergil looked off at the main street next to the demolished strip club. "I'm going to go for a walk."

Nero sighed out, "What?!"

Dante got to his feet returning his weapons to is back and under his coat. He felt that he now knew who the doppelganger was after. Why he didn't see it before plagued him. His mind raced with regret and guilt as he stayed silent.

Chasing after Vergil, Nero didn't get too far as he yelled out after the blue-coated, devil hunter, "I'll follow you!"

"No. you won't." Vergil said not taking his eyes off of what was in front of him. His hand drenched in blood. His feet stumbling over themselves as he walked. He would be better but it would take a while.

With compressed hate, Nero punched a large hole in a brick wall next to him with the Devil Bringer. It was cutting off the parking lot from the next but that changed as the whole wall collapsed from the super strength of Nero's arm. He watched the bricks collapse on each other breathing heavily with rage. Dante just gave a second's glance at the collapsing wall still trying to get his head right.

Walking over to him, Nero tried to calm himself as he asked, "What is wrong with him?!" Referring to Vergil.

Dante answered contemplatively, "He doesn't want to show weakness. He thinks he did. Just like I do."

Nero was baffled, "What are you talking about?!"

Dante took a sigh, "He cared. And I just wanted to have a relaxing night off."

Putting up his hands, Nero said confused, "You're not making a damn bit of sense pal."

"Do I have to draw you a picture Nero?" Dante said frustrated with himself. "Sorry, I left the crayons back at the office."

"What's wrong with you?!"

"He left because he cared. That's just him. He wanted to protect her. He feels feelings are a weakness. Maybe they are?"

Nero stood next to Dante mad but trying to maintain control, "This doesn't make any sense to me."

"Think about kid. Why did it wait for you and follow you, if it wasn't after you?"

Nero flashed him a look of defeat, "Was it after…"

Dante didn't give him time to finish, "It was after Kyrie! And you saw that symbol of Argosax."

Looking down at the ground in shock, Nero felt stupid now. He sat down on the ground next to Dante as Dante continued to think. He hadn't entered this deep of thought and worry in a long time. Nero asked, "So - what - Argosax is after Kyrie? Why?! She has no part in what I do."

"Yes she does. She is a big part. Of all of us." Dante looked in the way Vergil had walked off, "He'll never tell you it. He'll never tell me it but he cares kid. About you, about Kyrie, about all of us. I think its whatever humanity he's got left. He doesn't want to lose it." Dante looked down at Nero, "You have no idea what it took for me to bring him back from the dark side. Not a clue."

Breathing slightly, Nero looked up at Dante, "Why? Why Kyrie? She's innocent."

"I believe that's the point. To break us. After that little motorcycle thing failed on us, now he's attacking are weak spots - hard."

"So, she kills a bunch of the strippers here to get our attention and then - what - follows me back to kill Kyrie?"

Dante nodded silently.

Sighing with worry, Nero asked, "So how do we protect her?"

Dante sadly looked at Nero, "I don't know. Keep doing what we're doing? But -" Dante stopped himself.

"But what?!" Nero asked impatiently.

"We can't be in two places at once. We've still got a job to do." Looking down, Dante shook his head, "This is all my fault."

Perplexed, Nero asked, "Your fault? How?"

Looking out at the broken wall, "I just wanted a night of fun. I just wanted to have some fun with you Nero. You getting married to Kyrie and all. I just wanted you to have some fun." Dante shook his head. "I shouldn't have stopped looking for the green haired boy. Should have stayed on the case. Definitely shouldn't have sent out Trish and Lady."

With a little hope, Nero told Dante standing up, "They'll be back tomorrow."

Staying silent, Dante looked at the ground depressingly. After the two demon hunters stayed quiet. Dante finally said, folding his arms, "Argosax goes after Kyrie, Balscoth's going after the green haired boy, and -"Dante stopped himself with concern in his voice, "I have no idea what Mundus is doing!"

Nero said, "Bidding his time? Maybe he's got something cooking it just takes time."

Looking at Nero, Dante said depressed, "Yeah, out all of them, Mundus worries me the worst."

Nero shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it comes down to the devil you know and the devil you don't."

Dante took a couple steps from Nero, "He's out there kid. Somewhere. I know Mundus. He's such an egomaniac that whatever he's got, it's going to be huge. You think the Savior was bad?" Dante made a sigh of frustration, "What Mundus has got is probably ten times worse!"

Nero walked up behind Dante, "I think we need to worry about Balscoth. At least we know what he's after."

Dante just sneered not taking his eyes off the broken wall, "Do we?"

Looking away from Dante, Nero heard a small ringing. It was his cell phone. He flipped it open and said, "Hello? - Yeah hey Morrison. How's Kyrie? - Good. Good. - Yeah, he's right here." Nero motioned his phone out, "It's for you."

Dante took it slowly and dejectedly, "Yeah?"

"Dante! I found him!"

Looking at Nero with a glair of hope in his eyes, "Where?!"


	31. Razor Valley: 1

**(A/N: No, I haven't forgotten the main story arch. It will continue after this one. I just though it would be nice to know what Lady and Trish were up to. Besides, I haven't had them team up yet so I wanted to do one for the ladies.)**

* * *

Lady and Trish both arrived on red and black motorcycles respectively. They both came to a sliding halt with sand from the desert flying upward like water from a jet ski. Trish lowered her sunglasses to look at the small desert town. She whipped away some of her blonde, flowing hair as she got off her bike with her sunglasses still down. The sword of Sparda on her back looking so unnatural on her slim, tone, beautiful body "What is this dump?"

All of the buildings seemed like they were built in the late 1800's. A dirt pathway lead right through town and a tumbleweed floated on by. There were maybe seven buildings - if that. At the end of the dirt pathway were crumbling outhouses.

Lady got off her red bike with a loud shuffling of the equipment on her. The loudest being the Kalina Ann rocket launcher on her back. She looked at the town and said, "It's rustic. Kind of reminds me of those old western movies."

"You always wanted to be a gunslinger when you were a kid?" Trish asked, putting her sunglasses back up to her face.

"No. Then again, I never wanted to hunt demons either."

Trish made an unappealing groan saying, "Let's just get this over with."

The two women began to make their way into town as both girls took opposite sections. They walked under a tall sign with the small town's name on it. Lady read it aloud, "Razor Valley. Yep this is the place."

Lady took the left hand side of town. Trish got the right.

Trish first walked into a small building that seemed to be a doctor's office at one time. She looked around putting her hand on the outer doorframe. Feeling something on her hand, she looked at it realizing it was dust and some spider webbing. "Ugh!" She said, wiping away the debris. A breath of frustration escaped her as she asked Lady loud enough so she could hear, "Why are we here and not Dante?"

Lady kicked in the door to an equally small building like the one Trish was in and had her handgun at the ready. Holding it professionally with both hands on the grip this building seemed to be a small store. No stock was in obviously as she looked around cautiously. She answered Trish's question, "Because I thought you and me could handle this one. Besides, he wanted some 'guy' time with his brother and Nero."

Stepping loudly into the old office, Trish's black boots hit the wooden floor boards hard. She saw the wooden doctor table and just said to herself, "I wonder if antiseptics were used?" She then saw a broken out, glass medicine cabinet and said, "I guess not." Sighing, "You mind telling me again why we're here?"

Still talking to Trish from the store, Lady continued with Trish only hearing about half of it. "I told you already about the curse this town has on it. The curse of the Cannibal Confederate, Cassavander."

Trish stepped out of the dilapidated doctor's office not really checking anything and said, "No. Why don't you tell it to me again."

Having her gun pointed behind the counter, Lady began to tell Trish again the curse of Cassavander. "It was sundown in July. Two years after the civil war. The heat was sweltering." She swung into the back storage room with her gun pointed at emptiness. Trish had walked into the forgotten store to hear her better. Lady going on. "They say he rode into town on that big, dapple-gray mare of his. He was running away from Yankee hunting parties. He figured that the people of Razor Valley, being southerners, would hide him away from the Yankees. He was wrong."

By that time, Lady had taken notice of Trish standing outside the door frame and walked past her to her next undetermined destination with Trish two steps behind her. "The people welcomed him alright. With a twenty person strong lynch-mob. They say…"

Trish had to interrupt, "Who says?"

Lady was confused. "What?"

"You keep saying 'they'. Who the hell is 'they'?"

"Sorry. Legend has it - umm better?"

"Not really but please continue." Trish said feigning interest.

"So the story goes that the first thing this lynch-mob did was tear Cassavander's horse apart and ate the remains right in front of him. I guess they felt it was justified since he had done that to so many other people. Making them watch their loved ones get eaten by him. Then they strung him up and lynched him right from the town sign. Now, story goes, that Cassavander didn't die. In fact, they gutted him, shot him five times in the head with rifles, and burned him alive and then; when all that had failed, they finally blew out his left eye with his own pistol and decapitated him with his own saber."

It took Lady a couple of steps to hear Trish wasn't keeping up with her anymore. She turned around and saw Trish standing there with a curled-up lip of disgust. She removed her sunglasses and asked, "Let me get this straight. After they killed and ate his horse, they then proceeded to do all that other stuff to him?"

Lady looked around as if she had been talking to somebody else. "Yeah."

Folding up her sunglasses and putting them away, Trish said, "Sometimes I really don't get people."

"Well, before he finally died at the mercy of his own weapons he cursed Razor Valley. He told them that they could have done all this to him but they damned themselves when they ate the flesh of his horse. He had already been damned and now he damned all of them. To eat the flesh of humans for all eternity. He would come back to make sure they would too as they were damned to do so."

"You believe all this crap Lady?"

"After all we've seen, show me one reason to disbelieve it!"

Trish couldn't argue that point.

Approaching a small bar, Lady proficiently backed up against the wall near the bat-wing doors and gave a casual glance inside through a window that had centuries worth of dust on it. She said out loud, "Damn! I can't see in."

Rolling her eyes, Trish walked through both bat-wing doors and stood in the frame with both hands on the two, small, wooden doors. She looked around with melancholy eyes and said, "Well, no ones going to be getting me a drink." She then walked into the decommissioned bar. Her boots making a loud sound as they hit the wooden floor boards.

Lady came in after her with her gun still in front of her, prepared for anything around the corner. She slowly came through the wooden doors and backed up against the wall and slid across the wall with her gun pointed at nothing.

Sitting on one of the bar stools after wiping it slightly clean, Trish sat down and put her hand on her forehead with irritation. "Lady, for god sakes will you cut that out! You're like, driving me crazy!"

Lady saw a room in the back probably were they use to keep the barrels of alcohol. She approached with caution as she said to Trish, "You're going to be singing a different tune if we encounter anything."

"Oh like what? A few zombies, maybe some ghost? Even if these people are damned and come back, where are they?"

Lady walked into the backroom and walked in on a gruesome sight. She yelled out, "Trish!"

"Ugh." Trish said, getting up from the bar stool lazily. She walked into the backroom and started to say, "Okay Lady, if you need me to kill a big bug, I have no intention of…" Trish stopped as she saw the same gory sight Lady did.

Around all of the wooden keg barrels were nearly cleaned human bones. There was still a fresh bit of red tint to them but all meat and muscle were stripped right from them. They were all crammed together as if they had been just dropped into the room like trash. They were in piles and some were older then others. A slight few still had meat on them but not much.

Lady and Trish both backed out of the room as they both heard the bat-wing doors creak open. Both of them turned around and saw a man stumble in and was dragging his one foot across the floor. He had his head down as this low moan came from him.

Trish just made an exhale of relief as Lady had her pistol trained right on the guy. Trish walked over nonchalant to the guy and raised up his head forcefully. The guy's eyes were a pure red light and most of his flesh had rotted away. It growled at Trish and tried to grab her but the devil woman was far too strong for the glowing-eyed zombie.

She then looked at Lady and said, "Now see - zombies. Nothing to worry about. Been through a few hordes myself. All you do is just destroy the brain and everything's cool." Quicker than Lady could even react to what had happened, Trish raised Ombra under the zombie's chin and blew his brains out through the top of his head. She walked away from the zombie as it fell dead to the floor. It's brains leaking out all over the wooden floor. Trish had gotten a bit of brain matter on her outfit and she looked at it in disgust letting out a, "Eww!" Having both guns out, she approached Lady cocky, "Now, where's this Castle Dork?"

"Cassavander."

"Whatever."

Having a quick smile cross her face, Lady put her handgun back and was about to walk past Trish when she suddenly gasped and pulled her machine gun. She held it in both hands and she asked Trish in a shaken voice, "I though you said a shot to the brain would do it?"

Trish swiveled her head back around to the zombie with a completely healed head as it was coming at them slowly. Soon, another one busted through the bat-wing doors. This one looking like some kind of zombie miner.

Trish held up both Ombra & Luce to her face and said, "Yeah, I did."

Lady laid down a barrage of fire not only hitting their brains, but their hearts, their stomachs, their legs, and everything in between. The two decayed corpses went down to the ground like sacks of potatoes. Falling over themselves like discarded dead meat.

Trish looked at Lady with raised eyebrows as Lady loaded in another magazine into her machine gun. She lowered it a bit and said to Trish, "I figured if I hit everything, something would take them down."

Trish just cocked her head and said, "Can't argue with that."

Suddenly, both of the ladies heard noise coming from the downed zombies and saw them rising without a scratch on them. The two both had their respective guns up and both of them looked at each other with Lady asking of Trish, "Alright, what now miss zombie expert?"

Four more of the red glowing eyed zombies came in backing the girls into the back store room. Trish looked over at Lady and said, "Ah, forget this!" She put back Ombra and Luce and went out to the front with both of her hands open. She let loose with a bright lightshow knocking all of the zombies to the ground in an electrocuted mess. She waved Lady to come out.

When she did, she had her machine gun out and in both hands. She looked at them and said to Trish, "Fried them good, didn't you?"

Trish walked over the trembling corpses knowing the effects wouldn't last long. Lady followed her back out onto the main road of Razor Valley. They both looked opposite of where they had parked their bikes and saw an army of zombies coming straight at them. Trish had Ombra and Luce pulled while Lady had her handgun in hand along with her machine gun. Both of them pointed at the small army of undead townsfolk.

The two warrior women let out a barrage of lead as the townsfolk shook at the impact of the bullets. Some went down feigning death while others lost their footing and just dropped to the ground. The two zombies from the bar shambled out into the crowd going after the girls.

They backed up all the way to the town's name sign as the two of them wondered what it would take to put any one of these walking dead down permanently. The both of them fighting as hard as they could. Lady had had enough as she holstered both her guns and pulled her rocket launcher. She aimed it right into the middle of the horde but Trish yelled out, "Look out!"

Instinctively, Lady rolled forward away from whatever Trish had yelled about. Trish and Lady both came together and looked at what Lady had just dodged. Trish was the first one to barely ebb out, "Is that - that - that…"

Lady just said in a hopeless tone, "May I present to you, the cannibal confederate: Cassavander!"


	32. Razor Valley: 2

The giant man stood at an overwhelming seven feet tall or more. His chest hefted up and down. His grey confederate uniform dirty and a shambles from so many years of neglect. Rotten flesh showing through some parts while decomposed bone showed through other parts. Even his yellow stitching was worn and looked more brown and green than that bright yellow it use to be. His saber in his hands with his large six-shooter at his side. His kepi hat hiding his eyes but soon were slowly revealed. They were a bloodshot red with pure black pupils. Growling at the two ladies, Cassavander missed a swing with his saber because of Trish's inference.

Lady still had Kalina Ann out and sent one of her rockets right into the chest of the massive zombie confederate. The rocket exploded with a massive blast sending both women right to the ground with a hard push from the blast. The two of them both with their arms up blocking their eyes and hair from the debris blown out by the explosion.

Awkwardly getting up, the two women got to their feet and both of them were brushing their clothes free of the small rubble. Patting each other off, Lady looked at Trish and said, "One down."

"On the ground." Trish couldn't help but say it. Feeling so natural.

The dust hadn't cleared but they were confident Cassavander was gone. Until they saw him still standing there after the dust cleared, breathing heavily with a grimace on him that probably would have given Dante himself pause.

The two women both let out a sigh of frustration and Lady was already reloading Kalina Ann. Trish watched in a bit of caution as Cassavander began to approach the both of them. He stomped the ground with purpose with every step and wielded his saber with rage and expertise.

Trish spun Ombra and Luce back into their holsters and removed the Sparda from her back. She twirled it in front of her and asked Lady, "How long does that thing take to reload?"

"I'm not reloading it!"

Trish looked at Lady in rage. She had a small book out no larger than an address book. Trish looked around wildly, "Then what are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out a way to kill this guy!"

"Better work fast girl!" Trish commanded.

Cassavander raised his saber and brought it down with the intention of slicing Trish right in half. All he got though was the strong, reinforced blade of the Sparda. Trish struggled against the monster and said, with strain in her voice, "Lets just see how good you are with that sword!"

Cassavander sliced his saber right off the Sparda making bright sparks from both the blades. Flying back from the beast's strength, Trish nearly landed in the dirt but stopped herself by stepping backwards. She spun the Sparda along with Cassavander slicing his saber at air. The big zombie monster began to stomp right up to Trish but she back-flipped and looked at Cassavander with a sly smile. She swung her body along with the Sparda coming at Cassavander like a bladed tornado but the cannibal confederate stuck out his saber and the two opposing blades met each other stopping Trish dead in her tracks. The two enemies struggling against each other.

Lady looked up from her book and saw the zombie horde heading towards her. She closed the book and produced her machine gun. She shot at the horde blowing five people's brains out through the back of their heads while some got several shots in the gut that only slowed them down for a few seconds. Lady ran into a building and closed the door going back to her book. She was trying to find something on the demon/zombie they were facing.

Sparda came down fast at Cassavander and he was just not fast enough to match Trish's speed. The Sparda cut his head right in-half and the big zombie fell to the ground like a falling building. His feet bouncing into the air for a split second.

Trish pulled the big sword from the monster's head and said in victory with a shake of her head, "Here I thought you had some skill."

She turned her back looking at the horde on the main street wondering what she was going to do. She returned her gift-sword to her back before she heard a metal click behind her and swung around with both of her guns pulled. Cassavander was back and it looked like a duel was in order with his large revolver pointed right at Trish.

Licking her lips in admiration of the confederate's resiliency, Trish said smiling, "What we've got here is failure to communicate!"

The two suddenly began to shoot at each other. A few bullets flew by Trish while she filled the monster full of holes. Pieces of decomposed flesh flew all over in chunks. Cassavander reacted from the shots but they did nothing to him.

Meanwhile, Lady took a long breath looking up from her small book as she had finally found the way to beat Cassavander. She stood up from the closed door and put her book away. She took two deep breaths and raced outside with both of her guns blazing at the horde.

She rolled over to Trish as Trish was still locked in battle with Cassavander. He was still blasting away with his six shooter as Trish had twisted over to some cover with Lady joining her. Nearly four bullets from the six shooter blasted away some of the wooden wall as she hid from Cassavander's assault.

Lady and Trish both were hiding behind the same wooden wall. They had their guns to their face and that was when Lady laid down the truth. "Well, I found out how to kill him."

Trish looked over at Lady a bit overwhelmed with Cassavander and the approaching town's zombies. "You mind sharing with the whole class?"

Lady let out a breath of regret, "I'll distract him, you get that revolver away from him."

"What? Why?"

"Because we have to use his own weapons against him!"

"How are you going to distract him?"

Lady slammed Kalina Ann down on the ground and reloaded it quickly. She got back up and said, "I'm going to rock his underworld!"

She stepped out from cover and got a beat on Cassavander as he was dumping the spent shells from his revolver and loading in new ones. Lady took aim and fired one of her rockets. The impact was heavy and fiery. Even though Cassavander was unaffected by the shot, he was knocked back several steps by the explosion but was back to fighting prowess in no time. He tore out his saber and now held both of his weapons in both of his hands. Following Lady with determination.

Trish came out of cover and threw out both of her hands as bolts of lightning came out of her arms. They hit Cassavander with force and he was brought down to one knee.

A rocket charged past Trish's face as it blew away a horde of zombie townies that were heading right for her. Lady reloaded the launcher again and aimed and fired another rocket. This one went right past Trish's stomach hitting another horde blowing them away.

Trish kept Cassavander a prisoner of her lightning as she grabbed the saber from him and lobbed his head from his shoulders. The head flew through the air hitting the ground kicking up dust as it rolled around like a discarded bowling ball.

Lady walked up to the useless, headless body of Cassavander and removed his revolver from his grubby hand. She walked over to his head which was letting out this weak but vile moan against her. She cocked the hammer back on the gun and blew out both eyes with black blood exploding from the sockets.

She then threw the revolver on the ground next to the head and walked over to Trish who was standing triumphant. The two girls standing side-by-side. Lady smiled at Trish and she smiled back.

The zombie townspeople disappeared and even the town itself disappeared. Cassavander's curse had been lifted. The two ladies walked back to their motorcycles covered in dust.

Trish began to pat herself down from the dust as she got on her bike and started it up with the sound of the engine relaxing her. She folded her arms over the bike and said to Lady, "So what did the book actually say?"

Lady got on her bike and looked at the book for a moment. "Just that he was a voorheane type of zombie."

"Voorheane? Why does that sound so familiar."

Lady started her bike and revved it, "Dante and Vergil faced the very first of that type. Dante didn't tell me much except that he didn't understand it."

"Why is that?"

Before the two rode off into the sunset, Lady answered, "All he told me was that a lake camp didn't seem like a place where a zombie goalie would hang out."


	33. Harvest Time: 1

Gladice was smiling as she directed her customers out of her shop. They too had smiles as there was an older woman, three young women, and a young boy. The older woman turned to Gladice and said, "I never knew Jimmy still had so much to say to me before he died?!"

Gladice smiled at the older woman, "Oh honey, he loved you very much. Now you come back when you're ready. Jimmy will have more to say."

The older lady hugged Gladice saying, "I'm so glad I could say goodbye to him."

Patting her on the back gently, Gladice said, "No problem dear."

The group walked out as Gladice cheerfully waved goodbye. She locked her door and flipped her sign to closed on her shop. Her table in the corner still had her crystal ball and some tarot cards on it. She smiled and went over picking up the cards. She looked at the picture on her dresser of things and smiled even wider. A picture of her and Morrison. She was one of the first 'hunters' Morrison had ever met.

Turning around she gasped as a man stood in front of her. Just standing there with a sly smile on his face. She hadn't heard him enter and could sense the brimstone on him. She could tell he was a demon in disguise. A very powerful demon.

Trying hard to play it off, she said nicely, "What can I do for a handsome man like you?"

The man that stood in front of her had raven black hair cut formally in a business cut. He had a slight 5 0' clock shadow on his chin with extremely pleasant features all around his face. His body was muscularly built despite the black business coat he was wearing with the suit underneath standing at nearly seven feet tall. A red shirt with a black tie. Two things really stood out about him was his boots that he wore which looked a lot like combat boots and his eyes. He looked at Gladice with silver eyes. The irises shinning like silver coins. A demonic trait of himself he could not hide.

Gladice tried hard not to be fearful never seeing that kind of color in a human disguise. She fumbled with her deck of cards dropping them. She looked at him swallowing hard.

He spoke with a soft voice. Powerful but soft and empathetic. "I see my presence frightens you."

She picked up the tarot card with shaky hands. "Alright." She said collecting the last of the cards. "Lets not kid ourselves. I know you're here to kill me. So when did I kick your dark ass back to the pit?"

The man smiled and introduced himself, "I think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Noamuth."

She stood up slowly of old age in her back. She said, "I know that name." She couldn't remember from where. It was an old name.

Noamuth snapped his fingers and the blinds in the shop flew down shut. He said pleasantly, "I don't like bright light. Especially from such a pitiful creation like a star. Big horrible things belching out gas and expelling fire. Reminds me a lot of a few people I know."

"You still didn't answer my question." Gladice said, backing herself up against the dresser going for her gun.

Noamuth put out his hand, "Please Gladice, I just got this coat. I don't want you to ruin it."

She swallowed saying, "So you're not here to kill me?"

"Oh no I'm here to kill but not for the reason you think I am." Noamuth said as he paced around the shop seemingly fondling her crystal ball when he got to her table.

Gladice breathed heavily, "Then take revenge for another demon?"

"Nope. Nice guess though but afraid not."

She thought. She had sensed both him and another. She knew the one. "The green-haired boy?"

Noamuth laughed, "Not that either. I do know he's here in town but he's of no concern to me. Hell, even if Balscoth gets his sewage hooks on him, not really of a concern to me."

"Then why kill me?"

He started looking at a knickknack of hers, "Because you'll warn them of me."

"Who?"

"Dante, Vergil, the rest."

Gladice smiled slyly, "They'll already know you're a demon."

He sighed at her, looking at her sideways, "Yes but will they know I'm an arch demon?"

Her eyes went wide with fear as she began to sweat and shake with fear, "An arch demon?!"

Putting down the knickknack, he nodded his head saying, "Yes. A hell lord."

"You mean a demon lord?"

"Oh yeah -" Noamuth said nodding his head, "I forgot that you have never seen the Grand Grimoire."

This was too much for her, "The Black Bible!"

"Tells all about us. Well, a few of us. Doesn't say anything about me." He said happily.

Gladice then asked, "So that's why you want me dead. So I don't warn the agency of you."

"Yep. See, you're the only one in town that could sniff me out. You would have warned them about a powerful demon in town. One whose force exceeds the others. I can hide my powers from them but not you. Let's face it Gladice, you are really good at what you do."

"The green-haired boy is a demon."

Noamuth laughed, "No, afraid your crystal ball got bad reception on that one. He's not a demon. He is something far more dangerous to the world. Not to me mind you but still pretty dangerous."

Suddenly, a tremor began shaking her entire shop. Gladice grabbed a hold of the dresser as a few of her antiques fell to the floor. The whole shop shook and trembled.

Noamuth looked around with his hands in his pockets. "Oh, here she comes."

The building was still rumbling, Gladice yelling out, "Here who comes?!"

Standing the force of demonic power surging through the town, Noamuth said, "Echinda. Seems Balscoth dragged her up from her torment. He's using her to cordon off the suburbs of this town. No one in or out. She probably also wanted another crack at Dante and Nero after last time."

Gladice ran over to her desk and grabbed a vial of holy water. She threw it at Noamuth and it steamed off of him. He smiled at her, shrugging his shoulders, "Eh, I've been hit with that stuff before from a lot more holier places. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a game plan of my own to concoct."

Rushing over to Gladice, Noamuth grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up with an orange glow coming for the hand on Gladice's throat. She screamed loudly as she suddenly became black ash. Burnt to nothing from the inside out. Her body floated to the floor a pile of soot. Noamuth looked at the large, black ash pile and stepped over it still feeling the tremors. He walked out the front door and fixed a cufflink of his. People running in the streets as he looked towards the suburbs as fifty foot high vines were blocking off access. Three police cars went screaming by him as he stood on the main street of town. He walked in the opposite direction the cops and the running people with a huge smile on his face.


	34. Harvest Time: 2

Nero drove with Lady in the passenger side seat. A car followed with the rest of the agency; Dante, Vergil, and Trish. Nero looked at Lady as he was on the phone with Morrison, "You sure about this, grandpa?"

Morrison barked back, "Yes, I'm sure about this you dolt!"

Nero snapped his head away from his cell phone as he concentrated on the lonely road. A country road with tress filed on the sides with green grass and farmland. The sun was also bugging him not really able to get the sun visor right on the car.

Morrison went on with a snappy bite to his voice, "Gladice was hunting down demons, werewolves, vampires, and other evil creatures before you knew your ABCs. She wouldn't have called me if she wasn't sure. Besides, you don't need psychic powers to spot a green-haired boy."

Flashing a look at Lady as he drove, Nero responded, "All I'm saying Morrison is that it could be any kid with a punk hairdo."

"Then why does he have it 'just' neatly combed? You don't color your hair and then do nothing with it. Especially a bright green."

Nero couldn't argue with him there.

"You guys might want to get prepped when you get there. I'm hearing all sorts of crazy stuff going on in that town. And not just this morning either."

"What do you mean?" Nero asked only five miles from the town.

Morrison went down the list. "Fort Levitar. 1768 - Seems that a whole bunch of people went missing. 1802 - Indians and colonists went to war on each other. That wasn't the only thing. They found fragged deaths too. Treacherous, backstabbing right in the middle of the battlefield. On both sides. Like everybody just wanted to kill everybody. 1812 - Same thing. Only this time it was between the American/Spanish armies. 1869 - Two seemingly unstoppable killers went crazy there. List goes on. That isn't the worst of it either. You don't even want to know the evils that went down in the 20th century. Point is, its just like Gallery Lake. It's a hot zone for evil. Cursed land or something."

Lady finally spoke, "Do the others know?"

"Of course Lady. I told them all of this before I told you guys."

Nero decided to ask, "So it's no coincidence that the green-haired boy is here?"

"Balscoth puts him in a place that's a magnet for evil? If that's a coincidence, I'll owe Dante money!"

The two looked at each other. Again, Nero asked, "So what does he want him for?"

"I don't know. If I had to take a guess, he probably wants to fight the war on Earth constantly. Demon lord's can't be on Earth unless summoned. Bet you he doesn't want to wait for a summoning."

Lady put it together being smart on the occult herself, "A vessel."

Nero looked at both his phone and Lady confused, "What's a vessel?"

Morrison answered, "A vessel is someone that a demon can possess and control. Only high ranking demons or demon lords can attain one."

Lady shook her head, "What I don't get Morrison is that Balscoth can probably already take human form, why does he need the boy?"

"Who knows Lady. I'm only guessing at this point. Maybe the boy is more powerful than his own human form. I really don't know."

The both of them came on it. The high vines and the some twenty cop cars and national guard defending the outer perimeter. Nero squinted as he drove, "Call you back Morrison. I think we got a serious problem here."

"What are you seeing?"

"I think Balscoth cut the town off. With giant vines."

"That's not Balscoth's M.O. Sounds more like -" Morrison started to look through his laptop and a few books but Nero hung up on him before answering.

Looking at Nero like he was crazy, Lady switched her sights back to the vines and asked, "So what's the verdict?"

"I don't need Morrison to tell me that's Echinda's work."

"That demon you and Dante faced down during the Savior Crisis?"

"That's right." Nero pulled up next to a hummer and got out along with the rest. He walked up to a guardsman with the rest. The soldier looked at the two and started the usual spiel, "Sorry, no civilians past…"

Vergil looked at the guardsman sideways, "Kid, do we look like civilians?"

"Well no. You look more like nut jobs. Get back in your vehicles and…"

"We're professionals at this kind of stuff. Back off." Dante said already walking past the guardsman. The others started with Trish in the back kissing the guardsman. She let a little of her power surge tazing the young soldier letting him drop to the ground. The other soldiers aimed their rifles when their superior walked up. He looked at the group, "Who the hell are you guys?"

Dante was out front and said cockily, "The real devil hunters."

"What?!"

Taking a long sigh, Dante said, "Alright. See these fifty foot vines?"

"Yeah but…"

"Know where they came from?"

"We have several…"

"Seem to grow back or regenerate no matter what you do to them? Or if anything at all?"

"How did you…"

Dante pointed at himself with a smile, "Professional. Excuse us."

The group pushed past the guardsman who waved down his troops watching the agency approach the vines.

The five looked up at the tall greenery. Dante sighed, "So, anybody got any ideas how we're suppose to get inside?"

Lady smiled, "I thought we were suppose to be the professionals?"

Shrugging, Dante said, "Doesn't mean I'm a good one." He walked up nearly touching the green vinery with his body and knocked on it gently. He stepped back with vigor and spread his arms out, "Open sesame!"

Nothing.

Looking at the others nonchalantly and embarrassed with them looking back at him in silent annoyance. Shrugging he said, "Well, I just wanted to get the simple stuff out of the way first."

Vergil shook his head with his hand on his temples. "Mind if I try mine?" Asking with a headache coming up on him because of his brother.

Dante smiled stepping back to let him in close, "I don't think alla-kazaam is going to work either."

Vergil walked up to the vines, saying to Dante, "You're lucky I don't pull a rabbit out of you skull."

Folding his arms with a disingenuous smile, Dante stood back slightly hoping he would fail.

Vergil thumbed up Yamato from its sheath and grabbed it fast. He began cutting across the vines jumping across them, running sideways, cutting. Slashing like a professional hacking at the green, towering columns. Fast and inhuman strength and speed. He was a jet fast, blue blur landing on the ground barely being visible as he slowly sheathed his sword. He then thrust the last bit in hearing that click and was hoping to hear something else. He stood there listening to silence with his back to the vines - waiting. Turning back around with confused eyes he took a step toward them in shock.

Dante with that same smile asked wickedly, "Let me guess? These thing were suppose to fall down in pieces?"

A little aghast at the demonic power, Vergil said shocked, "That was the idea, yeah."

Lady walked past them saying holding Kalina Ann, she said, "Stand back guys. I got this."

The four demon-blooded agents looked at her with confusion. She looked back at them with her bladed rocket launcher, "What?!"

Dante pointed at the wall made of vines, "You don't think the national guard has already tried high explosives?!"

"Well yeah but this is blessed rockets and it will…"

Vergil held up his hand, "Stop. Just stop Lady. Don't embarrass yourself anymore than you already have. Yamato couldn't even cut through this stuff, I doubt that's going to do anything."

"Well I…"

Trish walked up to her, patting her on the shoulder with facetious empathy, "Come on Lady. I'm sure there's something else around here you can blow up." She lead her around.

The two brothers watched the two women and Dante said to Vergil, "Yeah, let's see if we can't find another way inside."

Looking at his brother hatefully and embarrassed, Vergil followed his red-coated kin with Nero staying behind looking at the vines like he was in some kind of trance. Vergil shouted out, "Hey Nero!"

Blinking, shaking his head, Nero looked at Vergil, "Yeah?"

"You coming or what?"

Nero waved him off stubbornly, "Yeah, I'm alright. I'll be there in a minute."

Nodding, Vergil went around with his brother. Nero stayed looking at the greenery. He cocked his head with a, "Huh?" Stepping up to the thick, tower-sized vines he smiled slightly and put his hand on the vies and nothing happened. He drew closer to it putting his ear up to it thinking he heard something. Pressing both hands to the vines that was when the crazy started to happen.

Hearing a sizzling he looked at where he had the Devil Bringer and saw a burnt indentation of his hand. Stepping back, looking at the tall vines, he nodded saying to himself, "So, you want me to come in, do you? An invitation would have been nice." He reached out with his devil arm and it projected itself twice the size of his whole body. He laid it on the vines and burnt right through them. Making a hole big enough for him to fit through seeing a whole jungle on the other side.

Pulling away his hand he started to walk into the hole. He pulled the Red Queen from his back as he entered the demon jungle. Looking around he saw there was forestation growing everywhere on top of the normal world. Where a road of tar and paint should be, was a beaten path through the jungle. Forestation on both sides of him seeing a stop sign swallowed by wrapping flowers and roots. He walked up to it looking at it strangely.

Suddenly, he heard a thick, moving sound. Like a large snake on the ground. Turning he saw the hole closing. He ran for it but it was shut by the time he got there. Punching the vines hard they weren't opening up for him. He was trapped. Aggravated he walked away knowing that whatever wanted him there was hell-bent on keeping him there.

Shrugging in apathy, Nero walked away hoping to find a way out. He walked past the stop sign and paced down the beaten path. His boot kicking up small dirt plumes as he walked. Walking, thinking about Kyrie and his mission here. Contemplating other things down the path. Looking to his left he thought he saw a house through the thicket. Pushing off the beaten path he walked into the heavy jungle and walked up to a small house overtaken by overgrowth. Stepping right up to the front porch he scanned the house over.

Hearing rustling he approached carefully with the Red Queen in a strong grip marching up the steps peering at the front door. The wood creaked at his boots and the house seemed to tremble at his presence like it was over a hundred years old. The green vines and jungle foliage nearly covering the house destroying the wood and foundation.

Approaching the door carefully he reached for the doorknob when the door itself slowly opened making him take pause. He stood with the Red Queen in one hand and his other slightly outstretched rolling into a fist. The Devil Bringer being free and ready for combat. A large shadow moved through the house and before Nero could act, it flew up into the door way as a large, snake-like mouth opened like red pedals on a rose. They revealed a white flesh lady nearly naked with red blazoned hair. She hissed out at Nero as he smiled devilishly at her, "Echinda! You look well. You do something with you hair? No wait, don't tell me, kids moved out of the house?"

"Bastard!"

Nero was suddenly pulled down under the porch into a cellar as the sun barely gave him light. He was up on his feet looking upwards with his sword on his shoulders. Echinda swiftly looked at him through the hole hissing out, "I got a new boss who promised me you! Imagine my surprise when you showed up!"

Nero cockily proclaimed loudly, "I'm full of surprises, garden gal. So who's this new boss of yours?"

"I'd tell you and then I'd kill you but my children have been dying for a new play toy. I'll let them have fun first." She flew off leaving Nero in the hole.

Nero saw the swinging blades in the darkness hearing growls and movement. Stabbing the ground with the Red Queen he revved his sword saying, "Didn't your mom ever tell you? Playing with fire is dangerous." His sword was fully charged as he went on the attack.

* * *

Outside, Lady and Trish found Dante and Vergil on the other side of the vine wall. Lady asked first, "Hey, where's Nero?"

Dante looked around, "I thought he was right behind us."

Vergil shrugged, "I did too."

The four ran back to where they had left him and saw not one trace. They looked everywhere but couldn't find him anywhere. The four searched until Dante stopped looking at the towering vines. Vergil knocked on them asking Dante, "You don't think?"

Dante nodded. "Yeah I do."

Perplexed, Vergil nearly shouted out, "How in the world did he get in?!"

Dante dragged his hand over the vines, "Don't know but I'm going to find out."

* * *

Nero lit the cellar alive with fire as he slashed and fought against the infected assaults. This remind him a lot of when the Savior had destroyed the Order. There weren't many as he fought his way out of the cellar and found a door. He bashed through it into the open air looking around for Echinda. She was gone.

One of the assaults tried to attack but Nero just bashed him the face with the hilt of his sword and slammed the side cellar door on him.

Beginning to walk off he looked back at the house. He turned around and walked back up the front porch to the front door carefully avoiding the hole. Stepping inside he carefully walked through the two story house. Even though it was small it was fully furnished and had been overtaken by foliage. Just like everywhere else had been. Seeing a lamp he walked over to it and tried to turn it on. Nothing.

A staircase. Heading up he heard the infected assault down in the cellar trying to come up. He ignored it. Walking upwards the steps were slippery with moss and leaves. Looking around upstairs a bad feeling came over him. If this house was here already before Echinda, then where were the people who lived in it?

He slowly walked down the hall of the second story coming to the first room. It was a small bedroom and seemed to be vacated. He was going to walk a little further but he heard a noise in the closet of the bedroom. The green moss and jungle growth made it hardly recognizable as a bedroom but Nero could barely pick out the shape of a bed covered in budding flowers. A stand with a TV that had a large branch sticking through it with vines blanketing the cable receiver. Posters of metal bands that were ripped to shreds and some were covered in white webbing much like spider webbing.

Entering, Nero headed for the closest with the blue Rose ready for action. He slide the door open watching green moss hang from it like off of trees. He looked inside not being able to see much. Darkness covered the inside as he tried to see. Hearing something again it sounded like a bubbling sound. He leaned in to hear it better.

In an instant he flew back as these green, hairy hands tried to grab him. They had black claws and thin, long, ghastly looking fingers. A form slid out of the closest. A small humanoid with light blue eyes and razor teeth it its mouth. A green moss-like substance all over itself. It looked like a teenage girl.

Nero took a few steps back as it shambled out of the closet and screeched at him. It flailed its arms about in a nonsense type of manor. Seeming to reach for him but not quite grabbing him. It howled sadly as these blades punched through its back like an escaping spinal cord and it reared its head moaning in agony.

Not having to debate too long, Nero shot the thing in the head with the Blue Rose and a black tar flew from the bullet hole as the mossy creature fell to the floor.

Stepping over it, Nero investigated the closet again only more to his liking. He ripped the closet door off and saw in the back a dark green cocoon. It had already been hatched from and Nero had a pretty good idea what had come out of it. He looked back at the demonized teenage girl and knelt down by her side.

This was a whole new low for Echinda. Touching her head he looked her over. She had been a human girl once who liked metal and seemed to enjoy the simple life. If Nero felt he had more time, he would have probably stayed longer.

Getting up to his feet he stared out her door with purpose. Walking over her he stepped out into the hall when he was attacked by a creature much like her. This one had whipping vines all over having bigger blades protruding out of her back. She grappled him but didn't knock him down. Standing firm he pushed her off with his hand and took the Devil Bringer to her face punching her head into oblivion. Her headless body went through a wall as Nero started walking down the steps.

Feeling something behind him he turned around with the Blue Rose but he was too late. A male one of those things pounced on him and drove him through the steps right back into the cellar. Nero crashed through the stairs on the staircase and fell down onto the concrete below. The evil being on him growled out as Nero pumped four shots right into him blowing him off. It flew back as Nero got up snapping his gun. He aimed as the last infected assault grabbed the moss humanoid and then tumbled into a ball seemingly trying to tackle Nero instead.

Nero's sights faltered from the two as he watched both of them convulse in a corner on each other. His brow furled and he wasn't sure he wanted to see this. "Ugh! Get a room!"

Not being able to see what was happening, Nero took a step back as the assault and the moss humanoid stood as one. They had fused becoming a powerful foe. It still had a humanoid figure but it was covered in bladed, whipping vines and its entire head split open showing huge teeth. It ran at him with this screeching roar. He side stepped the newly formed demon and threw it through the cellar doors on the side of the house. It flew through them blasting out and landing on the ground. Nero chased it out through the splintered doors and jumped onto the ground standing tall.

The thing squirmed on the ground getting up on all fours with its torso to the sky. Its legs, or what would be human legs, sprouted sword-like blades and it came at him like a jumbled mass of parts and sharp metal.

Jumping over it, Nero took eight shots at it blasting black goo out of it over the overtaken siding of the house. Flipping over, it stood on those bladed legs and swung at him like a Marionette. Nero kept firing with the Blue Rose until switching it to the Devil Bringer. He charged the shot and pulled the trigger. The charged shot hit the thing like a cannon ball and drove it right back against the house splattering black blood all over.

It pounced back onto all-fours and sprinted at Nero as he threw the Blue Rose into the air and grabbed it stylishly with his normal hand. Grabbing the new demon humanoid with the Devil Bringer he slammed it into the ground nearly three times before kicking it away harshly. Nero's enemy flew through the air tumbling onto the beaten path kicking up a dust cloud. He fired into the plume with his gun clicking off shots until standing in front of the cloud sending in the Devil Bringer again. Grabbing the demon he pulled it out of the debris looking at it. It squeaked at him weakly as he wound it up like a baseball player about to throw a pitch and sent it hurtling into the house. The mossy demon flew through the air like a green spear blasting through the front of the house like a missile. The glass windows that were left blasted outward and the entire house collapsed down on top of it. Looking like a menagerie caving in.

Spinning the Blue Rose, Nero tucked it back under his coat pulling at his collar. He proceeded down the beaten path after Echinda. She was going to pay for this. Turning humans into her own children. Nero was going to kill her for good this time.

* * *

Dante was shooting at the vines as all his bullets ricocheted right off the green wall. He had been shooting for two minutes. He roared out, "Give me back Nero!"

Vergil, Trish, and Lady were sitting down waiting for him to finish.

Stopping, Dante looked at them all saying, "No, don't worry. I got this!"

Getting up patiently, Trish walked up to Dante and touched his arm gently. He looked at her with apologetic eyes. She then said to everybody, "Alright. Anybody know how were getting Nero out of there?"

Vergil was sharpening Yamato with a whetstone. It was a small, grey stone he slowly stroked down the blade looking up at his brother with a casual glance.

Tapping her fingers on her machine gun, Lady stayed silent. She didn't have any ideas.

Trish held out her hands sarcastically, "Nobody hurt themselves trying to come to the rescue."

Rubbing out the blade, Vergil said, "This is Nero we're talking about. That boy can handle himself."

Dante growled angrily at his brother, "So, we should just leave him in there?!"

Vergil continued honing his sword, "I didn't say that."

Walking in front of him, Dante kicked Yamato out of his hands getting in his face, "Then do something?!"

Yamato hit the ground and Vergil clenched his hand into a fist. He socked his brother hard sending him down to the ground. Trish immediately came to Dante's side.

Standing up, Vergil angrily grabbed his sword saying, "You want me to do something?! Alright fine brother!" He walked over to the vines and began punching them hard. Every punch was harder than the last even shaking the wall. Vergil's body began to surge with power as small, blue zaps of energy began to encircle him. A blue aura began to glow and Vergil's punches became even harder. He roared out nearly Devil Triggering sending powerful shots right into the vines. He was like a mindless piston. Punching the wall for at least a minute or two before turning around breathing exhaustively. "You see!"

The two women at Dante's side.

Vergil continued, "Doesn't matter what we do. It opened only for Nero. So Nero is the only one who can take them down!" He sat back down continuing his care for his sword, "And get up you baby. I've hit you harder before."

Dante nipped back up to his feet and pulled on his coat, "I know. I was just hoping for maybe a bit of empathy."

Vergil smiled devilishly, "Sorry, fresh out."


	35. Harvest Time: 3

**(A/N: So I am currently looking for a good cover for this story. If anyone has any suggestion please PM. You do not need to use the review section. Leave that just for comments about the story. I have found several pics that I think would do this story justice but I would also like imput from all of you. Remember, please PM me instead of recommending in the review section.)**

* * *

Continuing to walk, Nero walked onto a block of houses. All of them overgrown. The pathway was still wide and he saw actual trees where street lights should have been. They were twist trunks and had those seeds of Echinda's growing on them. They were all over the branches and were hung with care.

Standing in the middle of the street, or what would have been a street, Nero threw out his arms, "Come on! Where the hell are you?"

Echinda didn't stay hidden for long. Three seeds came at him and Nero shot them into pieces spinning the Blue Rose with a cocky smile, "I expected some new tricks. Like those infected humans. Very -" He grimaced, "Tasteless of you."

Echinda came over a house in dragon form communicating with him, "My children?! What did you do, you bastard?!"

He looked up at her, "Put them out of their misery. Same thing I'm going to do to you!" Pointing up at her.

She hissed flying over head and splitting her mouth open to reveal her semi-human form. She hovered over Nero with her tail behind her. "You humans! Thinking you are eco-friendly. Thinking you are saving the forests. I'm recycling you. If you really cared you'd all become one with my children. They would show you the true way to save this planet."

Nero rested the Blue Rose on his shoulder motioning to himself, "I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not a pop bottle."

Echinda threw out her arms, "I could save this whole world. And he has given me that chance."

Nero shifted his head, "Who?"

She smiled at Nero, "Balscoth."

Pointing at her, he asked "Speaking of which, where is the green-haired boy?"

Looking at her nails, "I have no idea. I don't care. I was just supposed to block off the suburbs of this town. He's probably around here somewhere. I haven't seen him. I don't care either. All I wanted was to make a safe place for my children to grow. Which also means I get the second thing he promised me."

"Yeah and what's that?"

She sneered and pointed at Nero, "A world without you."

Cocking his gun, Nero said furiously, "Then come on! This time I'm going to make sure I kill you!"

Echinda laughed and formed back into her dragon form. She whipped over his head and he stood listening. She charged out of nowhere and he jumped avoiding her. She wrapped around and flew out of view. He turned around fast looking for her. "Come on! New tricks would be nice."

Charging him again he avoid her head but she got him by her tail dragging him along for the ride. He smiled, "Wrong move!" He got out of her grip and ran down her back as she flew through suburbia. Shooting at her head he sent her careening down to the ground. She landed on top of a few houses and Nero jumped off of her. She quickly recuperated. Hissing at him she folded back into her human form.

Shaking his head with disappointment, Nero ran at her shooting for her face as she staggered back. He jumped up on her buds and grabbed her throat with the Devil Bringer.

She seemed out of it until she looked at him clear-headed. She smiled saying, "Got you!" Sharp spikes quickly grew out of her and pierced through Nero. He jumped off of her with blood dripping from his mouth. He had several entry points as he staggered to his feet. They healed quickly as a jumble of vines wrapped around him trapping him. He struggled against them but they held him firm.

Echinda slithered over to him and gently caressed his chin, "Now, you will become mine."

Nero struggled with the vines saying, "Sorry, I'm already engaged." The Devil Bringer ripped through the vines untying the others from him. She slid back quickly launching two seeds at Nero. He shot them away and ran at her with a pulled back punch from the Devil Bringer. His devil arm shaking with power.

Quickly she transformed back into her dragon form and took off. He punched for her but missed destroying a house. Standing ready listening for her, Nero sneered not even being challenged by her. When she charged him, he grabbed her by the mouth with his powerful arm slamming her to the ground over his head. Her body slammed into two houses as she writhed around hissing at him.

Aiming the Blue Rose he fired several times at her making her recoil like a snake. She folded back out into her human form saying, "Balscoth gave me this opportunity. I will not let him down!"

She went at Nero but Nero just pulled back on his Devil Bringer roaring out and punching her right in the face. She went back being knocked backwards by the power. She landed in the same rubble she had come back from. Shaking her head with pain she hissed out looking at Nero tiredly.

Looking back at her, Nero was barely tired. He started to walk towards her but she whipped her tail in a desperate move. He jumped missing it completely barely breaking his stride. Grabbing her by the throat again he pulled her face close to his. He shoved the Blue Rose under her chin saying, "You've ruined a lot lives here demon!"

She said boldly, "Go ahead! Send me back to Hell! This world's doomed anyway. That green haired boy! He's going to bring on the apocalypse! I was just trying to make it beautiful for my children."

Nero angrily sneered at her, "To Hell with your children!" He shot three times before the fourth shot took Echinda's head off and left her headless body a lump of dead flesh and scales. It seemed to sink into the ground with this red light swallowing it up. Nero started to walk back where he had come through but didn't have to as the wall of vines started to turn brown and chip away. They died as the wall was no more.

Walking about six blocks down the street as the overgrowth was starting to die off he saw the agency heading towards him. Lady was the first grabbing him, hugging him tightly. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

He smiled at her, "I'm fine."

Trish smiled at him, "We were getting worried about you kid."

Smiling, Nero asked, "Really?"

Dante came around Nero asking with a smile, "So, who was the powerful demon keeping up these vines?"

"Echinda."

"Echinda?!" Dante folded his arms.

"Yeah I know. She put up about as much of fight as she did back in the forest."

"Not much of one."

"Yeah. Its weird I know."

Dante took a sigh as Vergil said what he was already thinking, "Not at all. She was probably just a distraction. Green haired boy's probably miles from here."

Dante angrily said to his brother, "Let's not ditch hope just yet. We know she just blocked off the suburb's area so he must be somewhere in this area. Lets start checking some homes and see if anybody knows him."

Nero looked at the ground, "Yeah about the homes around here."

Dante looked at Nero, "Yeah, what?!"

"I don't think there's anybody in them."

The rest looked at Nero but they saw the look in his eyes. Echinda had done something to the people in the suburbs. Something terrible.

Vergil started to walk away when Dante stopped him, "Where are you going?"

Looking back at his brother, Vergil answered, "Police station. A green haired boy in town. Somebody will know his address down there."

Dante sighed. "But you'll miss the party."

"Sorry I won't make it to the bash." Vergil dully said.

Smirking, Dante turned back around, "Aright. Lady - You and Nero take the street one over. Trish and I will take this street."

Lady and Nero headed out with Nero saying to her. "I hope your ready for this."

Lady asked, "Ready for what?"

Nero didn't answer her. He just kept walking wondering what else was going to go wrong in this town.


	36. Hellburbia: 1

Snapping his guns through the front door of an overgrown house, Dante looked around slowly with that stern look and those cold eyes. He held up Ebony and Ivory scanning the room. He was very machine-like and looked around for any evidence of life. Trish followed him in staying behind him with Sparda at her side. It's cumbersome shape nearly not letting her through the door. The two surveyed the living room.

Some of the greenery was starting to die off without the presence of Echinda but it would be months before the suburbs looked normal again.

Heading to the kitchen, Dante pulled open the refrigerator door and a lump of green slop poured out. It looked like dark green pudding with hair in it. Even Dante, with as many horrific sights he had seen. sneered at it. Being careful to look in the refrigerator for anything else. Just a bunch of over-molded food and food racks with that same green, hairy sludge on them. Dante closed the refrigerator door swallowing with disgust walking away.

Entering a small utility room he walked up to the washer and looked at the box of powder soap. Looking inside he saw that even this stuff had been turned green with demonic corruption. Raising his sights with wariness he was suddenly startled by Trish.

She had come around the corner slowly but still shocked him a bit. Trish smiled saying, "Sorry babe."

He lightly smirked saying back to her, holding up the box, "You believe people still use this stuff?"

Leaning against the doorframe, Trish spouted off, "Yeah Dante. It's what 'normal' people do."

Letting out a slight laugh, Dante put back the box, "To think, I wanted to be normal once." Pushing past her. Heading towards the front door he stopped thinking.

Trish slid off the doorframe confused, "What?"

He stood there with his back to her. Cocking his head towards her, somberly saying, "This kid. He must know he's different. Trying to pretend he's normal and then all this gets dropped on him."

Trish nodded her head looking at the mess Echinda had left behind, "Yeah and it's all green too."

"I was just thinking. I wouldn't stay at home if demons were running all over the place."

Trish seductively walked up to him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Speaking from personal experience?"

He shook his head, "No. I really didn't know about demons until Mundus entered my life. When he…" Dante thought back to that day. When his mother was taken from him. Both him and his brother taking separate paths to Mundus.

Trish's grip got tight on his shoulder with care. She looked at him caringly, "Hey!"

Dante looked at her sadly.

"We'll find him. That's not going to happen to him."

"I know it won't. Because I won't let it!" Dante sighed with hope and determination.

With a smile, Trish said, "I don't think he's here."

Dante turned around to face Trish, "Did you check everywhere?"

Smirking at her red-coated partner, "I know a little more about kids than you do dear. I looked everywhere while you were playing around with laundry detergent."

Slyly smirking at her, Dante walked out the front door and said to his black leather-clad partner, "I hope Nero and Lady are doing better than we are."

Nero kicked down a door with the Blue Rose aimed. He quickly covered the front of the room. "Clear." He stepped away with Lady aiming her launcher. She doubtfully asked, "You sure?"

Spinning the Blue Rose with a confident, "Yep. Nothing in there."

Lady's eyes thinned out, jeering at him, "Or are you scared to go in?"

Nero jeered back at her, "I'm not scared. Just know a little bit more about what Echinda did to this place. What she did to the people here."

Putting her rocket launcher on her back, Lady asked, "And that is?"

Nero was already walking to the next house. "You don't want to know."

Rolling her eyes, Lady said angrily, "I think you forget about my family life. I was raised on this kind of freaky stuff. Remember?"

Nero was already at the next house and kicked down the door. He swung the Blue Rose all around looking for something. Nothing. "Clear!" He shouted frustrated. Walking away he gave Lady a fake smile heading to the next house quickly. "There's a difference between reading about it and actually seeing it."

With a huff, Lady replied, "I've seen a lot too."

The next house was a one story house with little to no decor. "Clear." Nero said.

Lady then smiled devilishly, "Next one's mine!"

Throwing up both of his arms, "Go ahead."

Pulling her sub-machine gun, Lady threw open the door and aimed inside, "Cle -"

Suddenly, she twirled out of the way as a large chain came right at her and charged nearly ten feet out the door. Even Nero rolled to dodge coming back on his feet, kneeling with his hand on the hilt of the Red Queen. Lady too in a defensive position behind a mailbox and aimed carefully.

Striding out of the house was a woman that neither Nero nor Lady could believe. She had on a grey A-shirt with a black down jacket. Standing slightly taller than Trish making her six feet tall or more. Tight, black leather pants gripping at her thighs with metal clamp boots. Her eyes were reptilian and were a bright green. Slit and menacing. Her hair was pure white identical to Dante's and Vergil's but hers was beyond shoulder length looking more like Trish's hairstyle. Her hands both were adorned with chain-like whips that were wrapped next to her on the ground. They were apart of her coming from the bottom of her palms. She grimaced showing her vampire-like teeth. Both her lower and upper canines sharp and long. She was very voluptuous but was also a demon.

This chain wielding she-demon looked at the mailbox Lady was hiding behind and then quickly focused in on Nero. She growled at him saying, "I haven't got time for this!"

Nero spun up with the Blue Rose aimed, "You're going to make time!"

She walked towards him tall and unafraid. She snapped one of her chains and the gun lashed out of his hand. He backed off and tore the Red Queen from his back spinning, collecting the Blue Rose off the ground. She lashed out with her other chain whip but she missed him by inches.

Revving the Red Queen, Nero stood with a smile on his face. "Your defiantly not one of Echinda's."

"Your point?" she said lashing out with both whips cracking the streets and sidewalks with them.

Nero had to roll to get out of the way but he came back to his feet and his sword was fully charged. "That must mean you're one of Balscoth's. So what brings a charming creature like you here? Don't tell me, the green haired boy."

Lady came from out from the mailbox and fired her entire clip at the she-demon. She easily flicked her wrist, having one of her chain whips swirl around her, reflecting the bullets back. Lady got back into cover as her own bullets barraged her, leaving her still in cover.

The whip witch cracked that same whip at Nero nearly hitting him, "Where is he?!"

Holding his sword by the hilt still on his back, Nero smiled, "So you don't know where this kid is either, huh?"

Spinning one of her chains above her head looking like a giant rotor on a helicopter she brought it sideways at Nero as he quickly tore out his sword ablaze and caught her chain around the blade. Nero said quickly and intensely, "Was never a smooth talker."

Ripping the chain from his blade she came around with the other lashing out as Nero shot back that one. Going at her with the Red Queen drawn back, Nero slashed out but the demon moved nimbly. Flipping into a bent position she lashed out again sending out one of her chains, grabbing him by his foot, and tripping him up. She then raised him off the ground and slammed him down into the street with a strong ripple.

Lady came out from the mailbox with Kalina Ann, "Hey!"

The demon snapped her head in lady's direction as she watched one of those rockets launch out of the tube. Her eyes got real wide with surprise as she jumped in the air with grace dodging the rocket. It went right underneath her and slammed into a house across the street. The house exploded in a huge fireball and by the time Lady was finished loading another rocket, the chain whipping, female demon was gone.

Slinging the launcher on her back, Lady walked over to Nero and extended a hand out to him. He took it and got back up on his feet.

From out of the wreckage came a voice Nero and Lady both recognized. The cocky, lightheartedness was easy to identify as Dante. "Hey! What's this premature fireworks stuff?! We haven't even seen the guest of honor yet."

Lady smiled with Nero smirking. Shaking his head, Nero said back, "No but it looks like there's a lot of VIPs wondering where he's at."

Trish was standing right next to Dante in the wreckage brushing herself off. She bobbed her head a bit throwing her hair. Brushing her hair with her fingers to get some of the smoldering pieces out, "What do you mean kid?"

"Looks like we're not the only ones looking for the green haired boy."

Walking out of the wreckage, Dante asked pleasantly, "Oh yeah? Balscoth doesn't know where he is either, eh?"

Lady pulled at her launcher, "I don't think so. We have got to find that kid."

Dante brushed his hands together, "Yeah, I hope Vergil's having better luck than we are."

* * *

With the vines dead and in a piles on the ground, Vergil stepped over them looking for a police car in the area. Not one. He walked towards the police station as he stopped at a mystic shop. Turning his head slowly it seemed like Gladice's place. The windows were gone and seemed to be vacant. Out of curiosity he walked up to the front door and opened it up. Looking around the shop, Vergil entered slowly taking careful steps. "Gladice?" His voice was clam and a bit louder than normal but still emotionless.

Taking another step he heard the familiar rustle of sand under his boot. He looked down and saw ash. A large pile of it. Wiping his boot on the loud carpet he grunted with frustration. He had a job to do. He couldn't waste time in this mystic shop. Walking back to the door he proceed towards the other shop. The cop shop.

There was not one cop or police car around. Vergil saw the skid marks heading towards the wall. Only cops or national guard would be going towards a demonic wall that fast skidding to a stop like rushing heroes.

He only had to walk about half-a-mile before reaching the station. All the cop cars were there with some police outside the station talking nonchalantly like nothing had happened. Vergil already knew something was wrong. His grip on his sword got tight as he hid it from the cops. They were armed with shotguns and Vergil smiled a bit proud of himself. Definitely something wrong.

Standing in front of the two talking he rolled his shoulders ready for combat. They finally noticed him and asked, "Halt! Who are you?"

Vergil lowered his head jeering at the two. His eyes barely visible under his brow as he kept his sword behind his back. "Your sheriff. I need to speak with him. Now!"

One of the officers cocked his shotgun. "What for?"

Vergil thumbed out Yamato, "I'm looking for someone."

The other asked, "Who? Maybe we can help you."

"I doubt it." Vergil's voice was dark and ominous. He was more than ready to murder these cops knowing full well they weren't what they pretended to be. He could smell the evil coming off them. They were just weak demons. Foot soldiers, if that. Easily dealt with.

The two looked at each other. The one said, "Follow me." He walked away with his shotgun held more with military precision than law enforcement. Vergil followed with the other officer spying his sword. He smiled opening one of the passenger side doors on the closest cruiser. He took the receiver of the radio and clicked it, "Yeah, he's here. - No the other one. - The one with the blue coat! - Yeah. - He want's to see you. - No. He won't make it out alive. I'm sure you'll see to that."

As the cop took Vergil through the station he looked at all the cops seeming to be readying-up for war. They were loading assault rifles and shotguns. Gearing-up with bulletproof vests as Vergil even saw them loading up with grenades. Vergil looked at the cop ahead of him, "What's going on around here?"

The cop did even turn his head answering back, "War."

"Against who?"

"Everyone."

"Is that so?" Vergil having just the slightest bit of cockiness to his voice. "Even the national guard outside on the border?"

"Especially them." He turned a few halls and then came to a door marked sheriff. He opened the door and lead him inside. "He'll see you now."

Vergil walked into the sheriff's office with a frill of his coattails. The door slammed behind him and Vergil was left looking at a huge man with his back turned to him. He seemed to be dressed in his dress uniform.

Vergil slightly sighed turning his head. "I am very disappointed. I expected more out of Balscoth than a bunch of low-level possessors."

A growl came from the large sheriff. Vergil still couldn't see him but he heard the demonic growl from him. He almost smelled the brimstone on his breath. The sheriff said, "Three-hundred years ago, a low-level possessor was feared by many of mankind. Now, you all have lost that sense of fear. You take it for granted when a demon possess one of you. You lock'em up so they can't do their duty. You don't exercise anymore. You theorize and poke and prod us like animals!"

Thumbing out Yamato, "If the shoe fits -" Vergil let him process the rest.

The sheriff turned around and roared in his face. Razor-like teeth stared down Vergil with as black-scaled demon staring him down. Pure green eyes with a protruding mouth much like an iguana or a gecko. Large frills unfurled from the back of his neck as a large clawed hand produced a thick, revolver hand cannon that seemed to be as big as The Blue Rose except it had one barrel the size of two. A square, iron sight with a small red sight on it. The demon screeched at Vergil as it shot the large revolver blowing away the entire office door.

Glass and wood exploded outward as Vergil quickly dodged out of the sights of the demon. He unsheathed Yamato and went for a slash at the reptilian demon. He cut the desk right in two the sheriff was standing behind as he had moved out of the way of Vergil's precision blade.

Throwing half the desk in anger the sheriff grabbed Vergil by the throat and hauled him up right off his feet. He shoved the barrel down his throat snarling out, "Dodge this!"

Vergil whipped his sword right underneath the demon's arms and spun it downward cleaving its arms off. The sheriff howled in pain and Vergil went in for the killer blow but the big demon shoulder rushed him and threw him out of the office into the hall where three possessed cops stood ready with shotguns. Vergil quickly flew through one of the walls into the adjacent office as a storm of gunfire was unleashed after him. The shotguns volleying out after the blue-coated demon slayer.

One of the foot soldiers went into the sheriff's office and asked concerned, "Sir, are you alright?"

His arms reformed back on his body as he picked up his gun from the discarded limb. Looking at him with a snarl, "Fine you idiot! Don't let him get away!"

Vergil slipped into one office and saw a bunch of armored police. He stood ready for war with his sword saying, "Those vest won't protect you from me."

They tried to shoot Vergil but he moved too fast. He went through them like a maniac. Cutting down six demonic cops in less than-a-minute. He stood in another hallway covered in blood. It slowly dripped off of him as two chunks of wall blasted out for him being blown out by shotgun shells. It made him duck into a large room filled with several computers.

He looked around the room finding one terminal and began typing up some information on it. He cursed out loud, "Where's Morrison when you need him?!" He didn't get anywhere.

Three cops flooded into the room. Two with shotguns and one with an assault rifle. They blasted the room apart as Vergil opened his phone to call Morrison. Morrison picked up but loud gunfire echoed out over the line.

Morrison yelled out with hand to his ear, "What the hell are you doing, calling me during a gunfight?!"

Being hit nearly three times, Vergil yelled, "I needed to get some information!"

Six more shots echoed from the two shotguns and the assault rifle blared out empting the clip.

With his ear covered, Morrison yelled again, "Vergil, I can't hear anything with guns going off!"

Rolling his eyes, Vergil quickly dispatched of the grunts with a few slices of his blade. Nothing pretty but it would do. All three cops fell to the floor with Vergil still on the phone, "Better?"

Morrison on the other line simply said, "Yeah. Don't want to know how you did it."

Walking back to the terminal, "Alright, I'm trying to access a police computer. How do I hack it?"

"Get to its command prompt."

"Uh -"

Another officer showed up and Vergil just threw his sword right at the demon cop pinning him to the wall through his chest.

"Alright, how do I find this - uh - command thing?"

"Alt, Ctrl, Delete."

"What?!"

"God Vergil, hang on." Morrison grabbed his laptop. "Alright, give me the IP address."

"The what?!"

"Does the computer have a number?"

Vergil looked and saw a piece of paper taped to the monitor. It had in big red lettering: 7. "Yeah a seven."

"Alright, do you see a big tech box next to the screen?"

"You mean the TV looking thing?"

"How do you even operate a cell phone?!"

More cops came rushing in and mowed Vergil down with heavy assault fire. His phone was shot to pieces and the terminal was no more. Four cops all with assault rifles firing at the same time. Vergil landed on the ground in a pool of his own blood and struggled to get up. One of the cops tossed the shot-up table and they gathered around Vergil with two more. All surrounding the bleeding demon hunter. They began to fire but Vergil slipped out grabbing his sword. He easily disposed of the cops leaving the last one alive. He had him on his knees and sliced his hand right off. He screamed out with blood pouring from his severed wrist. "Help me!"

Vergil then shoved his sword right through his mouth, "That's for my phone!" He threw the dead demon down and looked at the computer. He sighed with frustration looking at some file cabinets behind him. He looked back at the destroyed terminal and then back at the cabinets. He then looked off to the side realizing that he should have really gone after those first.

Looking through them he was trying to find something on the green-haired boy. Nothing. File after file and not one had anything on the kid.

Soon, the sheriff came into the records room and looked at his dead minions. Dead cops all in a pile at his feet. He looked at Vergil calmly and angrily as he lifted his large revolver.

Vergil spun out of the gun's sights as the sheriff shot at him leaving a hole in one of the filing cabinets nearly a foot in diameter.

Remarking out loud, Vergil had his sword at the ready "I hate guns!" Spinning out from the file cabinets he slashed his sword at the sheriff as the demon dodged sending out two more large bullets for Dante's brother. Escaping both shots, Vergil came around with a twisting slice but the sheriff rolled out of the way and shot again with Vergil reflecting the bullet back blowing out a large section of wall.

The sheriff snarled out, "You will not find him!" Joshua is ours!" He then closed his eyes wincing at his mistake.

Vergil grinned evilly, "So, that's his name."

Cocking his gun the sheriff pointed it with a loud snarl, "You'll never see him! He is our salvation. Our alpha and omega! He is our savior and you will die before touching him."

Vergil spun his sword quickly and sliced off the sheriff's gun hand as it fell on the floor with a loud roar from the reptilian demon. Looking at Vergil with those green orbs for eyes, the sheriff began to grow back another. "That won't stop…"

Twisting with force, Vergil spun like a blue tornado and sliced the sheriff's head right off with a clean and definitive cut.

The head flew off crashing through glass into a detective office. His headless body slumped to the floor with blood gushing from the severed neck. A few droplets spattered Vergil's face as he took out a cloth and wiped both his face and blade of the demon blood.

A few cops came in filing the room and saw Vergil cleaning his blade with their leader on the floor decapitated. They looked at the demon hunter with frightened eyes as he looked at them with a dull stare. "Boo."

They took off running away from Vergil as he saw the national guard had arrived. They would have their hands tied up with the running cops. Meanwhile, he could find the green haired boy, Joshua.

Checking in the Js he found a few Joshuas in town. Only one a fifteen years old with green hair. No criminal record and living three streets down from where Dante and Nero were searching. Closing the vanilla folder he walked out of the station and headed back. The file folder in hand, Yamato sheathed, and determination etched on his face.


	37. Hellburbia: 2

Like an approaching phantom of death, Vergil came into Dante and the rest's view. Approaching him brazenly, Dante asked, "What kept you?"

Vergil looked at his brother agitated. A real, ferocious sneer came across Vergil's face as he produced the vanilla folder on Joshua. "The big bad wolf had an army of pigs."

Nero stood there confused, "You mean all the cops?!"

Vergil looked over at Nero plain faced, "Yeah." Then spoke to the rest plainly, "The entire station. Taken over by low-level possessors. Then there was the sheriff who was an enforcer of some kind."

Dante didn't even look at his brother as he looked at the file folder. A big picture of the green haired boy was staring back at him, "So his name is Joshua?"

Looking at his brother with a roll of his eyes, Vergil said with factiousness, "My brother can read." Pushing past them.

The rest followed and Dante tagged along in back saying to the group, "He only moved here about two weeks ago."

Lady looked back at Dante, "Wasn't that right around the time you and Trish cleared out that factory?"

Trish looked at the only other girl in the group, "Yeah, I think she's right Dante."

"Yep." Dante said staring at the file. "Looks like him and his -" He stopped. It took a minute for the rest to realize it. They all turned with Vergil being the last. Folding his arms he sighed. Turning his sights to a random house, "Come on brother! We don't really have time to waste here!"

"Foster family. He was adopted."

Vergil shrugged, "Yeah, so what?" Looking at the house not making eye contact with his brother.

Dante wouldn't have shared a look with him anyway. "So, according to the file they have on him here, he's been moved around more often than not." Finally looking up from the file with inquisitive eyes, "That's why. From Gallery Lake, to Limbo City, to that steel mill. He's been bounced around."

Trish walked up to her red-coated compatriot, "You think he knew?"

Shaking his head, "I don't know. He knew somebody was after him."

Vergil gritted his teeth in aggravation, "So why Gallery Lake? Why was he there?"

Dante threw a hard stare at his brother, "I don't know. He stopped."

Vergil finally looked at his brother with a sideways glance, "If this kid's smart enough to evade a demon like Vegdax, then why stop and corner yourself?"

Dante walked up to his brother with anger. "I don't know!" He walked away with vigor. Vergil followed right behind his brother with Nero commenting to Lady, "What was all that about?"

Lady smiled a bit. "Family spat?"

Trish answered, "Dante cares."

Nero looked at the two sons of Sparda, "What, Vergil doesn't it?"

Trish gave him a smile with a lighthearted glance, "Vergil only cares about certain people. This boy is not one of them. Dante cares about this Joshua because I think he sees himself."

The group got to the supposed address of the boy when a demon blew through the door at supersonic speed stopping with Joshua in hand, turning towards the house. A trail of high smoke and debris easily settling down after the demon.

Nero and Lady recognized her. The chain lady from before. She had Joshua by his chin. Out from the house came Vegdax. He had his double-barrel shotgun pointed right at the woman saying, "Zarra, give me the boy!"

She whipped one of her chains at him in warning, "Back the hell off Vegdax! You had your shot to get him and you failed! Balscoth is not happy!"

Joshua himself looked at the two scarred. He was trying to stay strong and Dante noticed it. He was trying to stay tough in a very unpredictable moment. He could see in his eyes he was just a bright, athletic, normal boy. At least, he believed so. Now, all that was ripped away from him. Dante's face grew sour with sadness knowing the boy would never have a normal life again.

Defending himself, Vegdax said, "I just want to know…"

"You don't get to demand anything!" Pulling the boy closer to her. "I am sick and Balscoth is sick of your lazy attitude!"

Vegdax took a step towards her with an unbelieving look. His shotgun directed right at Zarra. "Lazy?! I have been all around this pathetic land looking for that little mistake!"

"Yeah, and you also have been wanting your clash with that devil hunter. Just because you and him are the same doesn't give you the right to drag your feet on your mission!"

The whole group looked at Dante as he shrugged his shoulders, "I'm just as lost as you guys."

Zarra snapped her head towards the group, "Damn it!" Looking back at Vegdax, "Look what you did now you fool! You brought them right to him!"

Vergil grasped the hilt of Yamato, "Actually, the sheriff did."

She backed away cautiously with Joshua in hand. "Remind me to give him an ear full next time I see him."

Vergil took a step towards them, "Sure. If you can find his head."

She jumped backwards and Vergil went right after her followed by the others.

Vegdax shot at Vergil and he stopped looking at the black-coated demon. Dante began to approach unsheathing Rebellion. He said to the rest, "Go on. Find him. I got this idiot."

Nodding, Vergil took off after Zarra with the rest. Dante staying behind staring down Vegdax.

Holstering the shotgun and pulling his two swords, Vegdax began to spin one saying to Dante, "Oh! I've been waiting for this for a long time Dante. Ever since I learned you and me are the same."

Dante stood firm watching Vegdax circle him, "Yeah, what does that mean exactly?"

Still walking around him, Vegdax said spinning his sword, "Can't tell you everything since I don't really understand it all myself but what I get from it, you and me are one and the same. Exactly the same creature."

Dante watched him closely, "How?"

"Told you. I can't really understand all of it but it seems Balscoth thought the only one that could take you down and keep you from grabbing his prize was - you."

"You're not me." Tightening his grip on Rebellion. "You're nowhere near as handsome."

Vegdax stopped right in front of Dante. "You're right. I'm even better looking than you."

The two collided as Vegdax launched forward as Dante stopped both swords with Rebellion. They strained against each other as both blades spun off the other, the two warriors quickly attacking being the only two in the suburbs. Slashes and swipes with Vegdax having a slight upper hand with both fists armed. Dante did his best blocking and attacking himself. Each swordsman gaining and loosing ground with Vegdax pushing Dante back with aggressive attacks. He was fast and strong as Dante blocked most attacks trying to land one then and again.

Vegdax then kicked the devil hunter in the chest sending him down to the ground spinning both swords plunging them both into the pavement missing Dante by mere inches.

Getting back to his feet, Dante twisted up trying to slash Vegdax's head off. The black-coated demon easily dodged the blade swipe going back to his furious attacks with Dante trying to figure out someway to gain ground. He'd be lying though if he said he wasn't enjoying this. Such competition like this didn't come around too often. He was savoring it in a way.

Vegdax became frustrated and just started hacking with his swords knowing Dante wasn't fighting back as hard as he could. He roared out and slashed sideways with both swords Rebellion bouncing the two blades back at their owner. He screamed out being blocked, "Come on Dante! I expected more of a fight! Why aren't you fighting me?! Pull out that demon form of yours! I want to know your real power!"

Dante slyly smiled, "No. You wouldn't last. Besides, I'm having too much fun this way."

Gritting his teeth with a snarl, Vegdax went at the demon hunter again. Spinning both swords he attacked Dante with fury and rage. Their blades meeting and sparking as one another hit. Dante was pushed back but let Vegdax push him as he swung around and tried for a backwards slash, trying to cut his head right off. Vegdax ducked and drove his swords for Dante's heart. Swiftly knocking back both blades, Dante shoved Ebony right in Vegdax's face and shot. He was quick with a dodge. Spinning out of the path of the bullet he came to a sudden stop and pulled his shotgun. His two swords sheathed on his back nearly instantly. Firing at Dante, Vegdax sent shot-after-shot out after the devil hunter but Dante just sheathed Rebellion firing both handguns back at Vegdax. Both of them running for cover.

The two super-powered beings crashing right through two houses not caring about any of the material in their way. They shot through the two houses, through the walls, tearing through them with bullets going back and forth. Their shots ripping through the houses like buzz saws. Still firing as both of them blasted through the back going at each other again with their swords. They met crashing through the neighboring fences separating the backyards.

Their blades slamming against each other with more sparks blazing from the metal. The two warriors slashing and cutting at each other as each showed exceptional prowess with their respective swords.

Dante sliced at Vegdax's feet but he jumped and sliced for Dante's head. Neither attaining victory. Both of them looking at each other with intense eyes. Vegdax's slashed both of his swords in anger. "Come on! Change damn you!" he came at Dante with a roar and a slice aiming to split the demon hunter in half.

Easily rolling out of the way, Dante stood and smirked, "Vegdax I'm shocked. You don't pull out the grand finale till the very end of the show. Everyone knows that."

Shaking with anger, Vegdax said, "This is the finale. Pull it out now!"

"Why? Besides, where's yours?"

Vegdax looked at him with a cocky smile, "I don't need one."

"Neither do I."

"It's your most powerful state! You'll need it if you want to defeat me!"

Dante just spun Rebellion in front of him, "No, I don't."

Slicing both of his swords in a show of rage, Vegdax dragged both blades on the sides, cutting up the ground, rushing Dante with hate and venom. He came up with two upward slices as Dante easily jumped back blocking both blades. A smirk still on his face. Vegdax ripped out his shotgun and shot at Dante but the expert demon slayer zipped right in front of Vegdax, knocking him to the ground, sending multiple shots into his stomach from Ebony.

The black-coated demon fell to the ground with the bullet wounds and sat up with a snarl holding his stomach. Dante stepped on his chest with Ebony in his face and Rebellion over his shoulder. Forcing him back down, pulling the trigger back but Vegdax kicked Dante in the side of his head sending him down. Spinning back up to his feet he stood over Dante and lashed out with one of his swords but Dante shot it away and swung Rebellion like a slingshot over his head making Vegdax back-up a few steps. He shot at the demon but Vegdax rolled grabbing his shotgun shooting twice. Dante was blown back by one of the shots and was sent off his feet from the force skidding on his back, flying into the kitchen of the house he had just come out of.

Vegdax charged him but Dante was right behind him already healed. He went for an over head slash but Vegdax stopped him trying with his other sword to cut Dante in half but Dante stopped the free sword with his gun. The two swords straining on the son of Sparda's weapons.

Yelling at Dante, "Change! You have to!"

Dante looked at Vegdax with a concrete stare, "You just don't get it. If I needed to, I would have."

Vegdax gritted his teeth and growled out loudly slicing off of Dante and ran out of the house. Dante rushed out after him, "Where you going? This was just starting to get fun!"

Vegdax jumped onto a roof of a house and was out of sight before Dante took off after him.

* * *

Vergil and the rest tracked down Zarra with Joshua in her clutches. She pounced and jumped from rooftop to rooftop. All of them impressed with the demon's agility. She held on tight to Joshua as she nearly flew through the air. The group losing her over a wall in an alleyway.

Vergil ran at the wall but slammed his hilt down on the brick wall in aggravation. He swiftly turned at the others. "Alright! You three go on the other side. Spread out and find her. I'll stay here in case she decides to double back."

Lady was first to ask, "What happens if we find her?"

"Come and find me if need be. Go! Now!"

The three ran out of the alleyway and Vergil was going to take off down another conjoining alleyway but he stopped cold. He looked down the long brick corridor as a strange fog accumulated down at the end of the long straight-away. Thumbing out Yamato from its sheath he took careful steps towards the white mist. His boots echoing in the tight, brick passageway. He sensed the powerful evil.

From the white mist, out of thin air, came a man in a black business coat. A black tie over a red dress shirt. A businesses suit over that. A pair of neatly pressed, black slacks with shinned, black, combat boots. His silver eyes looked at Vergil nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets standing nearly a foot taller than the demon-blooded hunter.

His voice was soft and empathetic but had a hidden power. As if he wasn't trying to sell anything to Vergil but merely console him from some unknown tragedy. "Hello Vergil."

Yamato made a slight, steel shriek as Vergil pulled it from its sheath. "Afternoon."

A slight smile came over Noamuth's face as he looked away from Vergil, "I think you have other demons to deal with." Sliding a knowing gaze to Vergil with his silver eyes, "Don't you?"

Holding his sword's hilt with purpose, Vergil said harshly, "I can always take time out of my schedule for some riffraff."

A huff of amusement came from Noamuth, "You feel it, don't you?"

"Feel what?" Vergil's tight grip loosening.

"My power. It would take too much time out of your busy day. Besides, I didn't come here to fight you, son of Sparda."

"Too bad." Vergil said stepping forward.

Shaking his head with a smile, Noamuth said still with that consoling voice, "Please, Vergil. Let's not waste each other's time here. I've come to help you."

Vergil lowered his sword with a sneer and an assault of sarcasm, "Oh yeah. I believe that."

"Alright. Too direct. I understand that. Then let's just say your goals are my goals."

"Lies. As usual." Vergil sheathed Yamato saying, "Leave me be. I will not be fooled by another demon."

"Ah yes." Noamuth said cocking his head slightly looking at Vergil slyly, "Mundus."

Vergil turned and began to walk away. He was not surprised that a demon knew about his service to Mundus.

"Want revenge, don't you?"

This made him stop. His boots stalling on some green vines. He knew he shouldn't. More lies.

"I could help you with that. If you'd let me."

Turning his head slowly looking at the yuppie demon, looking him over past his shoulder, "You? Mundus is the ruler…"

"Wrong and you know it! He's nowhere close. Just a guppy who thinks he's a shark. In a very, very, very big ocean of fire."

Turning now to face him down, Vergil again took hold of Yamato. "Where is he?"

Noamuth smiled. "Can't tell you Vergil."

Sneering, leaving his sword sheathed, Vergil let go asking arrogantly, "Can't tell or don't know?"

Noamuth was quick with a calm response, "Oh, I know where he is. Just that you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Would raise too many questions and you would either sit here arguing with me for hours or you would try to cut my head off. And that just would be fun for nobody. You have important work."

"Do tell."

"The green haired boy."

"I'd rather you tell me about Mundus."

Noamuth shook his head burring his hands in his pockets again. "I need you to trust me Vergil so that when I tell you where Mundus is, you'll believe me."

"I will never trust a demon again!"

"Well, right now you don't have a choice." His silver eyes glairing at Vergil with a shine to them of inner power.

Gripping at the hilt of his sword, Vergil wasn't sure why but he felt more power and fury in this demon than any other he had ever felt in his life. More than even Mundus. It didn't seem possible to feel a hate or power that excelled more than Mundus's own but it was pouring from this demon. Like a waterfall of evil energy. The worst thing was that he might be right.

"Now -"Drawing out the word to put Vergil back on track. "Five blocks down you're going to go right. Keep walking straight and you'll hit the church."

Thinning out his eyes with suspicion, Vergil stood proud in the alleyway. "A church? A demon can't step foot in a church."

Smiling with slickness and pride. "I can. But this isn't about me." He folded his arms telling Vergil, "Zarra took him there to keep him from Vegdax and the other demons."

Turning his head in doubt, Vergil asked, "Why would she do that?"

"Balscoth. He's not really happy with everybody in his employ right now. Can't say I blame him but he doesn't understand. This is the best he can manage against you guys without coming here himself."

Vergil smiled slightly, "I have been less than impressed."

A slight laugh came from Noamuth, "Of course. Because enforcer demons and pawns don't quite give you that challenge your looking for. You need better game, am I right?"

Not being able to deny it, Vergil looked at the ground. He was always looking for a challenge. Always looking for a greater power. It was his life's blood. Looking back at Noamuth with cold eyes he asked disgruntled in his current mission, "Where is he?"

Smiling again, Noamuth answered, "Sister Balleina's Chapel. You'll find it." He walked back into the fog that was hovering the alleyway leaving Vergil to ponder and grasp the situation.

Walking out of the alleyway he looked down the street and began heading in the direction Noamuth told him. It would give him time to think of how to handle that demon.


	38. Hellburbia: 3

Brickwork and red marble stone stood surround by green grass. It was dressed with stain glass windows and it all seemed to exist in a realm all its own. Echinda's evil had not touched this part of town. The church was truly of old construction and was at the end of a fork. Its steeple nearly two stories high with a huge glinting cross on top. Two large wooden doors at the front as Vergil stood ten feet from it with a wide-legged stance as he stared down the building. His brown boots firm, his hands both in fists with his sword hand itching for action.

Hearing a familiar sound he swung his head in that direction and saw black strapped boots enter his field of vision. "Dante." Saying his brother's name like an angered demon.

Dante walked towards the church from the side being closer than Vergil. He saw his brother and strode over to him saying, "Did you see him?"

Cocking his head slightly, Vergil said, "He's in there."

Dante turned towards the church with his hand on Ivory. His eyes glared at the church not looking at his brother, "Demons can't enter churches."

Shrugging, Vergil ripped Yamato from its sheath and began heading for the church.

Stopping his brother, Dante spun out Ivory, "Vegdax is mine."

Both brothers eyes transfixed on the church. Vergil saying with sword in hand, "It's not Vegdax I'm talking about."

This got Dante's attention causing him to turn his head, "What? Then who…"

"The green haired boy."

"Joshua."

"Whatever."

"You're not planning on going in there with that thing, are you?"

Vergil looked at his sleek blade, "Yeah. I never leave home without it."

Dante huffed slightly, "You'll scare the boy. Let me go in. Talk to him. Kids just love me."

"About as much as a train to the face. We need this over now. He is probably some kind of demon. Why else would Balscoth want him?"

Dante sighed, "A vessel, brother. I don't know what makes him so special besides that green hair but I'll bet there's more to the story."

Slamming his blade back into the sheath making the steel hiss, Vergil said with determination and machine-like precision, "Ten minutes. I don't see you come out of that church after that, I'm going in there and turning some pews into firewood." He slung his blue coat walking away from his brother.

Smirking, Dante turned back towards the church and spun Ivory back under his coat. He walked towards the church in a slow stride wondering what he would find inside.

Stopping near the doors he looked them over kicking them in, tall and prideful he stood just outside as the two wooden doors blasted open. The doors slammed into the walls and did not come back being to old and heavy.

Dante recognized his mistake but it was pure instinct to him. His face was stone looking into the church as he slowly walked in. The pews lined on both sides of him with the floor echoing his footsteps as he proceeded. In front of him was a large pulpit with a golden goblet and the sun shinning through the giant stain glass window behind it.

He extended out his arms and said solemnly, "Sorry Joshua. Didn't mean to scare you. I'm not going to hurt you, you know?"

No answer.

"Bet its scary, huh? Some guy with a sword on his back comes kicking down the doors. I know I'd be scarred too." Hearing a slight noise behind the pulpit where the sunshine was beaming. Still no answer.

"That black coat guy was around here somewhere, you know where he might be?"

Slightly, a timid face came from out behind the pulpit. That green hair acting like a beacon contrast to all the wood and gold. The sunlight making it shine like rain-covered, summer grass. Joshua whispered out strongly but wearily, "That's what she said."

Lowering his arms, Dante asked, "What?"

"She said she wouldn't hurt me either. The lady with the chains."

Dante slightly smiled sitting down on the front pew. He crossed his leg atop the other and slid down looking the church over, "Yeah, I was never one for places like this."

Joshua shifted from out of hiding crouched behind the pulpit. He came into full view giving Dante a good look at him. He sat on the steps up to the alter and folded his hands in front of him. He was wearing blue jeans with a black t-shirt with a red symbol on it. His face was slightly stretched with sapphire blue eyes. They seemed to almost glow the color looking like jewels in his eye sockets. In those eyes was strength and cunning. He was frightened but also seemed to have his wits and was in a survival mode. Almost like he had been trained for this kind of thing. The pictures Dante had seen of him when he was younger didn't do the lad justice. His hair had a right-handed part. His skin was nearly a ghostly white much like the two brothers. His arms were slightly muscular. Tone and well built throughout.

When he finally decided to say another sentence, Dante heard the boy's real voice. It was young sounding but calm and full of strength. Like he had experienced more in his short life span than most men experienced in a lifetime. He was still just a lost boy but sounded like he was making due with what he had. Commenting on the church he said in contrast to Dante's statement, "I was. Use to go to the one my parents did."

"Where are your parents Joshua?"

He wiggled on the step uncomfortably and looked at Dante with sad eyes, "Dead. My dad worked in a steel mill and my mother stayed home."

Thinking back, Dante thought of the steel mill he had been called to. He figured Joshua's dad was one of the ones killed by the murdering equipment. Dante knew he wasn't lying.

Joshua continued on, "I had run away from home way before that psycho started chasing me down. I ran back and he found me and my parents."

Dante didn't want to ask, "Were they your real parents Joshua?"

Looking at Dante with a solemn look shaking his head, "No. They were my adoptive. I had lived with them for about 3 years or so. They cared for me I guess and attended church. I went with them and liked to read the Bible."

Confused, Dante asked, "Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I liked all the demon/angel stuff in it. I mostly read about that. I like some of the heroes in it too. I think some of them are misunderstood nowadays. I wouldn't do what they did to save people but they were still trying." Joshua looked at Dante with slight tears. "I like to think that's me. A little misunderstood but always willing to help."

Leaning forward with a solemn look, Dante thought about himself. He was trying not to scare the boy but he said darkly, "Which did you like? The angels or demons? Personally, I don't like either one but demons especially."

He thought for a second. A little surprised by the question but still answering it, "I do. I like both. The angels and demons. I just think what the demons could do now if they were put to helping people. How many evil people could be stopped if those monsters were put to a good use?"

Staring ahead with piercing, ice-cold blue eyes, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

Joshua stood up gaining some of his old confidence back, "But if you know the line you never have to cross it."

Dante smirked, "Easier said than done kid. Believe me, I've been at this job a long time and I still don't know where the line is. Killing people is wrong no matter who or what they are."

"Some evil demons aren't nearly as bad as some evil humans. Evil people need to be destroyed. They hurt others or they hurt the wrongfully accused. Bullies."

Breathing a long sigh, Dante said shadily, "What about demons? You seem to have a kinship with them."

Joshua walked up to the pulpit and laid both hands on it looking down at the big Bible on it under the goblet. "Yes I do. I just think they could be put to a better use than murder and chaos. Doing good and punishing the wicked."

Dante stood from the pew and grabbed the hilt of his sword, "Do you think demons could help mankind?"

Looking at Dante with an inner pride and confidence standing at the pulpit like a young preacher, "I do. If they are given the right direction."

Letting go of Rebellion, Dante just smiled and shook his head, "Kid, I think you're a little confused. Demons don't listen to reason. That lady that hauled you here…"

"A demon. Yes I know. I know the guy in the black coat is too." Joshua cocked his head, "You are too but there's something different about you. Something more - noble."

"Yeah." Dante said roughly. "Come on, we've got to find a good hiding spot for you so Balscoth doesn't find you."

"Okay." He said confidently.

In surprise, Dante backed away a step. "What? No line of questioning, no whining about wanting your old life back?"

Joshua sighed with regret. "Oh how I wish I could. I was a star in school. But I didn't like it all that much. I always wanted to do something worth value. Worth - me. Something more than sports and school work. One of the reasons I ran away was to greater things. I was glad I could help them."

"Them who?"

"Those kids at this camp I stopped at. I knew that black coat guy was on me but there was a lot of children getting sick from some of the plants around there. At first, I didn't know what to make of it but I remembered a few thing from my bio-science class and chemistry." He smiled proudly. "Within two days those kids felt better. You know they would have died if I hadn't stopped to help."

Dante didn't feel there was any reason to hide it, "So, that's why you made a pit stop at Gallery Lake."

"Yes. I knew I shouldn't have stopped but those kids needed help. I wasn't just going to let them die!"

"Joshua?" Dante asked curiously.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you learn all this? Not every kid knows how to make some weird cure-all potion and even less know how to outrun a demon on their trail."

Blinking with contemplation, Joshua answered, "I don't know. I just knew it. The chemistry stuff was easy because I learned it in school but how to go on the run from something like that, I'd just think about what needed to be done and did it. It's hard to explain. I just knew how to out maneuver him. How to run away."

"There is something special about you kid." Dante said walking up to him patting him on the back. "No wonder Balscoth wants you."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you all about it."

Or he would have had it not been for the large chain that came crashing through the roof. It wrapped around Joshua and nearly dragged him out of the church. Dante was quick and shot the chain three times making it retract back up the hole with Zarra coming down herself grabbing the boy. She furiously whipped out against Dante sending a wave of mental into a pew destroying the wooden bench. Dante had dodged out of the way rolling and shooting at her. She swung her whip around and spun it like a shield in front of her ricocheting the bullets off. Some nearly hit Dante as they sped back to their point of origin. Again Dante was quick with a roll unsheathing Rebellion.

Zarra put the boy down in a pew with a bark and a finger point, "Stay!" Joshua looked around. Their was nowhere for him to go.

Striding around Dante arrogantly, Zarra swirled both whips casually saying to the red-coated demon hunter, "Son of Sparda. You remind me a bit of your father. A little more outspoken than he was but you have that same stupid feeling for humans." She sighed regretfully. "Shame really. Dante - I wish it didn't have to be this way, I really do. Your father was a great killer back when he was with us. You should have seen the angels and humans he could put down with just the swing of his sword. Then -" She looked at him sorrowfully, "He actually started to feel for these humans. I had felt the same thing before but I pushed it down. I fought against it. My home is in Hell. I suppose at the end of his mortal life, he learned that as well."

Dante smirked, "Knew the old man, did you? Well, you got most of it right except for one thing." Telling her, putting up his index finger cockily, "I know what he did learn at the end of his life."

"And that is?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Zarra growled at Dante and went at him full force. Dante noticed quickly she didn't approach him like Vegdax. His charges were hard and furious but slightly sloppy. Not hers. Hers were precision personified. It slightly surprised Dante but he fought her off quickly and was knocked back a bit. He looked at his wrist sarcastically. "Eh, I got a couple of minutes."

She grabbed Joshua quickly. "I don't!" She nearly got him locked in her grip but Dante sent two shots her way and nailed her chains and her forehead. It knocked her back but didn't keep her away from him for long. He stood in front of Joshua and said, "Your not getting this kid."

Joshua just said weakly, "Don't I get a say in this?!"

Both Dante and Zarra shouted out, "No!"

Again, the two went at each other fighting like skilled warriors. Josh didn't know it but he was watching a duel that any demon, angel, or combat hardened human would have died to see. The fluidity of both seamless, the expertise shown flawless, and the precision echoing back throughout the ages.

Launching a chain through the floor, Zarra missed Dante as he bounded out of the way slashing at her with Rebellion. The sword's tip glancing by her, missing her flesh by millimeters. With her other chain she threw it at him slicing the air with the metal but Dante reflected the chain back with his sword and bounded like a cat behind the pulpit. Zarra had both of her whips ready for another attack as Dante glimmered a faint smile at her. She was unfazed by his attitude. She had put down whole rebellions before.

Lashing out with both whips she sent them into one another Dante ducking the wild metal lashes. Rolling out from the pulpit he went at her with his sword drawn back but she dragged one of her whips at him wrapping it around his neck. Having a tight grip she flung him into a side wall nearly sending him through it. A large plum of debris was left in his wake but when it cleared he was standing strong. As if a light breeze had struck him.

Charging at her again he had Ebony unleashed but not for long as the one whip grabbed his gun while the other whipped away his sword. He was set on course nearly being kicked in the jaw, Zarra showing CQC skills. Smiling fiendishly, Dante slid on his knees turning with Ivory well-aimed.

Hearing the gun, Zarra jump-twisted in the air lashing out with both whips making Dante roll under a few pews shooting at her as he did. She landed with grace and slung one of chains across several pews destroying them sequentially as Dante shot and rolled under them. Whipping back her chain like the professional she was she watched him roll back through the wooden rubble flipping through the air back onto his feet. Running at her he shot away both her chains as she went for a last resort spinning kick on the floor, trying to trip up the skilled demon hunter. Dante twisted over her and grabbed Ebony back coming to a stop on a bent knee, firing at Zarra, sending a barrage of bullets her way.

Instinctively she spun her one whip in a circle reflecting back the bullets while lashing out with her other. Dante shot the free one away and went running up the side of the church with Zarra bashing out several stain glass windows after him all the while he reached above his head shooting down at her. She made him flip-jump back down landing with both guns pointed at her with Zarra sending a ripple through her chains in a bit of showy fashion.

Looking at Rebellion she looked back at Dante, "You could have grabbed your sword."

Smiling, Dante said, "Knew I forgot something."

"Why didn't you?"

Shrugging he said, "I guess you're that good."

Zarra showed her fangs in distrust, "You lie!"

Dante sill with that trademark, half-cocked smile of his, "Do I? Babe, when someone is as skilled as you, I give them credit." He then winked at her.

Huffing out at his cockiness but not being affected by it, "So, you going to come at me?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."

Zarra took a step towards Dante's sword and stood over it. "Good thing I know where you're going."

"Do you now?"

"All roads lead to here." Zarra's green eyes not once lowering from Dante's steel blue's. The two seemingly locked.

Dante had to admit he had not faced an opponent of this caliber in a long time. He glanced over at the boy and asked, "hey Joshua?"

Josh got up from the pew asking, "Uh yeah?"

"Would you mind getting my sword for me, please?"

Zarra looked at Joshua with those green, slit eyes furiously. They thinned and stared at the child menacingly. Afraid of the demon woman he said, "I don't think she wants me to."

Dante's smile increased, "It's okay Joshua, she won't do anything to you. She's a good little demon to her master. She wouldn't dare touch a grassy hair on your head."

"He's lying!" Zarra roared out against the boy. "Leave it where it lies!"

Dante again said, "Go on Joshua. Trust me. I wouldn't put you in harms away and neither will she."

A little weary, Joshua got up from the pew and headed towards Zarra.

She protested loudly with a demonic hiss. "Joshua! You leave it there! Don't you dare touch it!"

"You see how she hasn't threatened you with a punishment?" Dante asked arrogantly, "Because she won't hurt you."

Zarra again hissed with a hellish bellow, "I will if you don't leave it there. Do you know the things I have done to mortal men child?!"

"Done. She won't do a thing."

Looking at both cautiously, Joshua bent down and touched the hilt of Rebellion with nerves shaking him to his core. He got a firm grip on the sword and lifted it up. All the while Zarra protested. "Stop! Right now! Damn you I said stop! Don't pick it up! I am warning you!"

He looked at her with sorrowful eyes as he flung Rebellion onto his shoulder, one-handed. Both Dante and Zarra were surprised at how he managed the sword. Both knew the sword was a bit heavy for normal humans but Joshua was anything but normal. He handed it back to Dante and the demon slayer took it carefully from Joshua's grip. He patted him on the head and told him to go sit back down. He did with Dante saying back to Zarra, "I believe it was my lead." The two charging at each other again, faster and more violent than the last.

It all came to a grinding halt when Vergil kicked in the doors with Yamato in front and a piercing stair that would have given the devil himself pause. He lowered his sword a bit and said coldly, "I'm early."

Slightly smirking, Dante brushed a bit of his hair, "That's okay. I was wondering if you would be?"

Walking into the church, Dante's brother seemed to glide past the rows of pews towards Joshua. Not like he was hard to miss with that green hair poking out above the wooden seat.

Zarra was fast at a reaction. She hopped onto the pew, grabbed Joshua by the arm, and slung herself through the hole she had made in the ceiling earlier. Dante yelled out with an abominable roar, "Joshua!" He bounded out the front doors and looked around spying Nero and the two women making their way towards the church. He spun his sword and pointed in Zarra's direction. The three turned and followed the roof hopping woman. Dante followed with Vergil close behind. The five demon hunters doing what they did best chasing the demon woman down.


	39. Hellburbia: 4

Trish was the first to run up a wall to follow Zarra leaving the others down below hopping roofs like Zarra could. Dante and Vergil split from Nero and Lady The five hot on Zarra's heels.

Meanwhile, the chain wielding demon pounced rooftop-to-rooftop with Joshua wound in one of her chains. She lashed out against Trish whipping at her with the free whip but only hitting shingles and alike as Trish jumped missing the attack. The two women running and bounding opposite each other.

She jumped down off the roof leading Trish on. The former servant of Mundus bounded down with her nearly losing the other four demon hunters. She went after Zarra but was suddenly slammed in the face by the butt of a double barrel shotgun.

Stepping out of the shadows, Vegdax aimed the shotgun at Trish and looked at Zarra, "I'll be taking the boy to Balscoth now."

Zarra shouted out with her green reptilian eyes a blaze with rage, "He has a name Vegdax!"

Shifting his eyes back to Trish he said slyly, "I don't care about his name."

"You should." Zarra said just as slyly and more angrily. "If you don't, then who are you going to know who to bow to?"

"He won't have a name when Balscoth's done with him."

"He'll still be in there somewhere you fool!"

"Balscoth will take care of his soul very quickly."

Now Joshua spoke up, "What's he talking about?!"

Zarra just snapped at him, "Be quiet!"

The other four caught up with Trish. Dante and Vergil walking slowly behind. The two brothers ominously approaching the group. Dante with both guns at the ready and Vergil with his sword unsheathed.

Vegdax smiled, "Dante."

Zarra took a few steps back. "Little to crowded for my taste."

Looking at Joshua, Dante asked, "You alright kid?"

He just nodded still unsure.

Nero looked over at Dante, "Yeah, I'm fine too. Thanks for asking."

Both Dante and Vergil looked at Nero annoyed. Nero just shrugged with the Red Queen out and revved. The blade glowing a bright red.

Zarra needed to make a run for it. She just took off running with Joshua in-toe. Trish tried to slip past Vegdax but he shot at the blonde missing. The three demon-blooded hunters went at Vegdax but he disappeared in a bright flash of lighting. Dante hit a building wall knocking a hole in the brick. He was a little startled and walked away with his head down frustrated at losing Joshua again.

After a few minutes, Trish came back with her hand up to her face. "I lost her."

Vergil stood in front of her, "How?!"

"I don't know. I lost her on a train."

Nero looked at Trish curiously, "A train?"

"Yeah. She hitched a ride on it and it took off. I couldn't keep up with it."

Nero again with that curious look, "A passenger train or a freighter?"

"Freighter I think."

Opening his cell, Nero called Morrison. Dante was intrigued at what Nero was doing. Getting in contact with Morrison, Nero asked, "Hey Morrison is there a train just outside of town? - Yeah, okay where does it go? - Alright thanks Morrison." He closed the cell and spoke to the group with all of them staring at him intensely. "Alright, the train makes threes stops we should be able to catch them at one of them."

Three of the five took off with the brothers standing, contemplating. Nero stopped and asked, "What?"

Dante looked at Nero and shook his head, "Doesn't feel right. The kid knows how to run. If anything she probably does too. She's skilled."

Trish added, "To ditch me, yeah I'd say she knows how to evade real well."

Virgil spoke up, "She won't get off at any of the stops. She'll ride it nearly to the end or she'll get off soon."

Dante argued, "That or she'll get off between stops."

"How did you lose her Trish? It's a freighter. They go pretty slow." Vergil said matter-of-factly.

Shrugging she replied, "Not this one. It didn't have many cars and the engine took off pretty quick."

Vergil stared her down.

Wanting to defuse the situation, Dante said, "Either way, we've got a train to track down."

The group started to walk out of town with the national guard cleaning up. They watched the guardsmen toil and clean up as they passed by Gladice's shop. Vergil stopped and the group stopped just a few feet from him. Dante asked of his brother, "What is it Vergil?"

Focused on the shop he walked towards the door and waved at the others harshly, "Go on." He entered the shop as the others waited outside.

He looked around noticing the ash pile on the floor again. In the dark came Noamuth. He walked out of nowhere and made a sad sound, "Poor girl. Got to close to the truth."

Slicing Yamato at Noamuth, Vergil had caught nothing but air with his sword. Noamuth appeared behind Vergil saying, "I didn't do this."

Another slice from Yamato and another complete miss.

"Come now Vergil. This is helping nobody."

"You killed her!"

"No I didn't. This was all Balscoth's doing. She tried to summon him and take him down but she was turned to ash for it."

"Yeah, and what makes you think I'll believe that?!"

"Because I'm trying to keep you focused Vergil. What happened here is not what you care about."

Vergil went in for the kill but stopped in his tracks at the mere mentioning.

"Mundus."

He froze. Holding Yamato wanting agonizing revenge.

"I though that would get you to stop. You're skills are good Vergil. Some of the best I have ever seen but you might want to leave your emotional baggage at the check out. Your focus needs to be on Balscoth right now. You're clouded with vengeance and care. Two very powerful emotions. Emotions that make you weak. You'll want to be strong for Mundus. If you can slay Balscoth, you can kill Mundus. Well, send them back at least. True evil never dies."

Standing there, listening to Noamuth, Vergil looked at Yamato ashamed. He did need to be stronger to take on Mundus. Stronger and more able. He sheathed Yamato slowly and asked, "Where did she take the kid?"

Smiling Noamuth asked, "Come now Vergil, you're better than that! Surely that's not the question plaguing your mind right now."

It wasn't. "How did Trish lose track of her?"

Smiling even wider, Noamuth answered, "Now you're talking! Unlike Vegdax, Zarra is a brave, bold warrior. She is not one to be trifled with. She is also smart. She knows of Trish's abilities. You underestimate Zarra. You also underestimate Joshua."

Vergil gripped the hilt of Yamato tight. "Get to the point!"

"Vegdax is young. Zarra - she's been dodging people like you for millenniums. She was whipping down Hebrew backs under the hot Egyptian sun before Sparda even had an inclining of rebelling against the demonworld. Trish, you, your brother, Nero - you guys aren't the first crossbreeds she's faced down before. In short Vergil, she brought back-up not even Balscoth knew about. Find the train you'll get the first scent of where there going."

A little insulted, Vergil said menacingly, "That was the plan."

Licking his lips with cockiness of his own, Noamuth said, "You'll find that that particular train will be very hard to track."

Looking back out towards the group, Vergil gazed at them asking Noamuth, "I'll find her."

He went to leave but Noamuth stopped him. "When you do Vergil - put him down."

Turning his head towards the demon but keeping his body forward, "What do you mean?"

"When you find Joshua, you'll need to stop Balscoth for good from getting him."

Vergil whispered out, "You mean -" He stopped himself not wanting to finish.

"I do."

Again, Vergil went to leave with Noamuth disappearing from the shop. Opening the door and walking out, Vergil headed back for the group telling Dante, "Morrison needs to know she's passed on."

The rest of the group looked down in mourning. Vergil kept walking ignoring the moment of peace. He was staying hard and focused. Him and the rest need to come up with a way to catch Zarra and her cargo. It would take them some time. In the meantime, there were other demons and monsters out in the world for him to kill. For them all to destroy.


	40. Peace & Damnation: 1

Sitting in the back seat with Nero, Lady looked at him nonchalantly, "Are you mad?"

Nero looked back at her irritated, "No. I'm just worried about Kyrie. That's all. I don't even understand the big deal. So a bunch of people decided not to visit their families on Easter Sunday."

Lady looked at him. "All from the same, small town."

"What is the big deal?"

"It points to something wicked Nero."

"Why? Because its Easter Sunday?"

"You got it."

Rolling his eyes and staring out the back window, Nero sent a glance at the driver, "And who is that guy?"

The driver just waved back and said nothing.

Lady slightly smiled, "You know Morrison and his friends. Same driver we've always had."

Crossing a sign that said VanderBach, Nero looked at Lady and asked, "Alright, anything on this town?"

Lady looked at her phone and scrolled up some files Morrison had sent her. "Not much. Established in the late 1800's by a German family…"

Sarcastically Nero interrupted, "You sure?"

Finishing, Lady went on. "Nothing much to tell except up till now. Seems a big company is buying up quite a bit of property in town." She shrugged. "Another corporate conglomerate taking over American family land. Nothing shocking there."

Giving a chuff of knowing, Nero watched the small town pass by as the car stopped in front a nice suburban home. Both devil hunters got out with the car driving off. Nero rolled his shoulders looking around the neighborhood saying to himself, "I'm not use to everything looking so - normal."

"Bad memories from Echinda?" Lady asked.

Scanning the homes surrounding him, Nero said harshly, "Let's just get this over with."

"Alright. So this family was one of the last that didn't leave town for the holiday."

"I still don't think there's anything here."

Lady noticed a sign in the front yard, "Look at that." pointing to it. It said that the home had been recently purchased by OPP: Oblix Placid Products. The logo had the O with an upright and upside down P inside.

The two approached with Nero, cracking his knuckles asking "Alright, how do you want to play this?"

Smiling she answered back, "Sales couple."

Nero shot her a surprised look, "Couple?"

Grabbing his arm with a big smile, swinging her hips, petting his arm, "Oh yeah!"

Swallowing hard he walked uncomfortably with her, holding the back of his head nervously.

They came up to the door and she rang the doorbell. She smiled up at Nero but also with a hidden sadness. Knowing it was just pretend she knew he was loyal to Kyrie. Which made her that much more attracted to the young, virile, demon hybrid. Nero did his best not to look uncomfortable with her.

A man and woman opened the door wide and fast. They greeted Nero and Lady with the most enthusiastic greeting either of them had ever seen. The man bursting out happily, "My goodness gracious, honey look!" The man snatched his wife by the shoulder with a grin that looked like it was going to rip past his cheeks. "New neighbors!"

Nero and Lady looked at each other with disbelieving eyes. They wanted to just turn around and walk away at this horrific utopian sight. Lady nervously said, "No, we're…"

The man interrupted, "Look at those weapons honey!"

The woman next to him had her head cocked with a smile that matched her husband's, "Oh yes - my my! Those look like some great instruments of death! Please, come inside!" Extending her hand into the abode.

Again, the two looked at each other and slowly, cautiously entered the house looking around, feeling like they had just entered an alien spaceship. The man slammed the door behind them and Nero went for the Red Queen. He nearly pulled it but the husband asked crazily, "Who want's cookies?!"

Wide-eyed and shocked, Nero put his hand back down from the hilt of the Red Queen saying, "Uh…"

The wife then spoke up, "Oh yes, you must have some of our delicious cookies!"

Lady faked a laugh nervously, "Oh, that's okay we had a big lunch."

The wife looked at the two of them with her house dress of yellow and green flowers, "Oh - okay. Lemonade then?"

The husband nearly threw himself at his wife, "Oh yes dear! I will have some of your lemonade!" Turning to the two hunters with a wild, evil grin, "I would shower in her golden lemonade if I could!"

Nero and Lady looked at each other not knowing whether to run as fast as they could or kill the two right there on general purpose? They weren't possessed though. They were just - all-out weird. They weren't demons and they didn't seem to be trying to hurt the two either.

The husband said to the two, "Please, sit." Motioning to the couch in the living room. They sat down both stiff and nervous. Nero with his hands on his knees and Lady trying to get comfortable on the couch. The husband sat down on a recliner opposite the two with his wife coming from the kitchen with cookies and a glass of lemonade. The husband nearly knocked his wife down going for the treat tray with her happily squeaking out, "Oh!"

He shoved six cookies into his mouth like a mad dog and gulped down the lemonade, drinking the tall glass down, not putting it down until it was empty. Gulping the drink like he hadn't drank anything in days. Four more cookies were shoved into his maw before saying with crumbs flying from his mouth, "Oh, these cookies! Fantastic!"

The wife stood right by her man saying, "All thanks to Oblix markets."

The husband pointed at his wife with four more cookies in his mouth struggling to munch them down, "Hmmmm, yes Oblix!"

Lady just acted interested, trying to ignore the disgusting pig display with the cookies, "Oh - re - really?"

Pointing at the two with crumbs flying from his mouth, "Yes! Isn't that the most comfortable couch you have ever felt?! Real Persian leather from the backs of baby seals!"

Both Nero and Lady sneered at that statement. Too much being wrong with it for them to comprehend in a few seconds.

The wife bending down sliding her hands over a table like a product model, "And look at this table! Mahogany wood from the strongest trees in the Sahara!"

Lady and Nero were trying desperately to hide their looks of surprised bewilderment. It was a bit too much for them hearing this kind of nonsensical, gibberish from the couple. Hoping their disgust, shock, and awkwardness wouldn't be too noticeable.

Putting his hand to his chin, "Tell me son, where did you get that masterful looking sword? I don't remember it in the Oblix's weapon queue."

Looking at the husband with a sideways glance, "Probably because its one-of-a-kind."

"Oh my!" The wife giggled out, "I bet he works for them dear."

"Oh! You work for the company, do you?"

Lady sat forward asking, "Excuse me but is all the stuff in your house from OPP?"

The wife waved her hand like she was the realtor trying to sell it, "This whole house is Oblix owned. Isn't that wonderful, we want for nothing!"

The husband snapped suddenly with a dull sound to his voice and a blank stair, "Yes. Oblix Placid Products: Want for nothing." He then twitched out a wide smile and ate two cookies at once shoving them into his mouth.

Lady stood up and said, "Well, thank you for your time." she went to leave with Nero following behind her.

The married couple rushed at them, "Wait!" The wife said, "You simply must see the new refrigerator we bought from them!"

The husband said after, "or the wonderful tools I got."

"Or the window cleaner they sell."

"Or the great slippers I have from them. Breathe like lions they do!"

Lady held out her hand, "No we must really get going!"

Nero was already out the door breathing the fresh air like he had been underwater for hours.

The husband noticed and said, "OPP sells pills for that! Makes the air taste like different fruits!"

The wife piped up, "Yes! Or the wonderful exercise videos now out: How To Look Like An Athlete That Is A Supermodel While Saving The World'!"

Slamming their door yelling out, "No thank you!" Breathing in some fresh air of her own she walked up beside Nero asking, "You okay?"

Nearly yelling out, "No! I'm pretty far from okay!"

Scanning the neighborhood she saw every yard perfectly mowed and every house perfectly maintained. Each one with a sign in their yards saying: OPP. She patted Nero on the back and directed his attention to the signs. He scanned them saying, "You got to be kidding me!"

Pulling at Katlina Ann's strap over her shoulder "Come on, we've got to find out what this company is."

Nero followed quickly behind, "Good. I've always wanted to destroy a corporation."

As they walked the sidewalks to the main thoroughfare of the town, they were greeted by a man in his mid-40's watering his lawn. "Morning! Wonder how I keep the grass so green?"

Lady just sneered while Nero asked annoyed, "Oblix?"

He pointed back at Nero, "Good lad! Where did you get those finally crafted weapons?"

Lady snapped back with her heterochromatic eyes, "Oblix!"

"You darn tooting!" He said going back to his lawn.

Walking with Nero, Lady was shaking her head, "I swear I hear one more thing about Oblix Placid Products I'm going to throw-up!"

Slamming into Nero's back she nearly fell down on the sidewalk. He was standing still with his face aghast in surprise and disgust. She walked next to him looking up at what he was. Her face quickly matched his. Nero asked in anguish, "What did we do to deserve this?"

Staring back at them was a large mini-mart with a big, red sign sprawled across the store front: Oblix's Product Pacifier Facility. The parking lot full of cars with people getting out empty-handed and getting back in with two shopping carts full, at the bare minimum. One lady had a cart load of surfing equipment and another jammed with pool stuff. She seemed in a hurry to get home and use it all.

"My god!" Lady said, "It's an ant farm!"

Clenching the Devil Bringer and curling his upper lip, Nero sarcastically inquired, "We're not actually going in there are we?!"

Lady cocked her head with a sigh of dread, "No choice." Grabbing Nero by the cuff of his coat, dragging him like a large child, "Come on."

The two entered the large store being assaulted by florescent lighting and a bunch of people running around rows-and-rows of self-checkout registers. As many people as they saw using these devices, they saw more stock boys taking carts to the side of the store empty and returning with them full of items.

The stock boys were all the same white, pale-skinned teens that seemed to be void of soul. They ran around like a bunch of slaves getting people all this stuff. Just random stuff the "normal" people seemed to be ordering from the side storage section of the store. A section that nobody could see. Not that they seemed to care except for Lady and Nero.

Both of them came upon an empty self-checkout and Lady began to punch a bunch of on screen prompts. Nero came up behind her, flashing her a question glance, "You know how to work that thing?"

Her magic fingers flying over the touch-screen display, "when Morrison is too busy who do you think is getting you guys the info you need?" her eyes locked on the shoulder high device. She then said, "There - whoa!"

Nero looked around cautiously nearly going for the Red Queen. "What Lady? Are we in trouble?"

Lady's eyes transfixed on the screen as if it was a glorious window to another world. "Look at these deals!"

Nero twitched towards her confused, "Say what?!" He looked at the screen. Lady had pulled up some items on sale for gun collectors and alike. Holsters and bullets mostly.

She then said in captivated amusement, "Look! They have launcher holsters for 75% off! I need one of those! Look Nero! They have snake-skin holsters for real cheap. Nearly just a penny on the real leather! They have one in black, purple, red, and -" she giggled at the next selection, "Pink!"

Looking at her like she had just lost her mind, Nero said, "Lady - we're suppose to be finding out what's going on with this place."

She quieted him like a giddy schoolgirl, "Shhhh, I want to get this 66-for-6 deal! By 66 boxes of bullets and you get the next 6 purchases free. Anything you want! That means I could spend just a hundred dollars or so and get six, big-screen TVs absolutely free!" Yelling out with merriment.

Snarling at her, pulling her away from the checkout machine by her arm with the Devil Bringer, "Lady, what's wrong with you?! You're starting to sound like that married couple earlier!"

She blinked a bit and shook her head, "I don't know Nero. She said looking around. I just - deals!"

"Well, snap out of it! We got a job to do."

"But I've had this strap for Kalina Ann for so long. The girl deserves a new strap. Just a new strap and then will figure this out."

Grabbing her, Nero said harshly, "No Lady." Again the Devil Bringer wrapped around Lady's arm, "Now, this place has some kind of power over you and you need to concentrate. Alright?"

Again, Lady bit her bottom lip and nodded. She was ready. She thought she was. He let go of her and she struggled not to race off to one of the empty self-checkout machines. There were hundreds of them all lined in a rows much like aisles at a grocery store. Nero walked on when he stopped just before going inside the small doorway the stock boys were entering and exiting. It was covered by a few, large plastic straps much like a large fridge had on its doorways. Looking back for Lady he found her browsing stock again.

He sighed with annoyance and dragged her away with minor complaint from her. Talking to her like a scolding younger brother, "Lady snap out of it! I needed you on this. You're the only person with a mind for the occult."

She struggled to go back to her machine but Nero had her in a firm grip. He was waiting for a clear path to get in. When all the stock boys weren't flowing in and out like ants from a colony. He whispered to both himself and Lady, "How many of these poor bastards are there?!"

They went in with empty carts, came out with full loads. Going back and forth like cars on a highway. A constant stream of pale-faced teens in yellow shirts with red aprons. Soon, there was a break and Nero hauled Lady in with him.

Both of them hiding behind a conveyor belt inside the cemented room. Their were hundreds of conveyor belts all rolling out boxes stamped with big red lettering: OPP. They were in rows just like the self-checkouts and Nero watched as the stock boys opened them up and slapped them with a sticker also having Oblix's name smeared across it. He said with Lady still in hand, "Damn, they love to make sure you know who your buying from."

Lady had regained her senses saying to Nero, "I'm fine Nero. You can let me go now."

Looking back at her, Nero asked rhetorically, "Sure you don't want to buy a few rockets I saw on sale?"

Looking around doughy-eyed, "Where?!" She then smiled facetiously, "I'm good Nero."

He let her go and both of them stuck to each rounding some more conveyor belts and entering another back room. This one darker than the last and much more conservative. It had these strange, red orbs rolling down one belt to the next room where the boxes came out at. Nero pointed up asking, "Now how do those thing become a snowboard, a holster, or what-the-hell-ever else anybody orders?"

Still stick to each other and the shadows the two hunters came up next to a two story office. One office below with the lights off and the other occupied. Nero tried to get a peak but couldn't see the person inside. He made a muffled grunt, "I can't see who's in there."

Lady was watching the red orbs roll down the two story high belt, saying in response, "I don't care about that. Where are those things coming from?"

Nero took an angry look at them, answering back, "My first guess isn't the Easter Bunny. Why don't we go find out." Pulling the Red Queen from his back.

They nearly rushed for the long, high belt when the person in the office came out with his arms wide spread, "Ah, curious customers I see!"

Lady and Nero both looked up at the direction of the voice seeing a black business tie. A white business shirt with pleated slacks and dress shoes. A slightly plump belly with a sunken chest. Then, on top of that sunken chest and plump belly; a gecko-like face with red reptilian eyes, frills, red scales, and sharp, razor teeth lining its mouth. The last thing they saw was the name tag on his shirt saying: Hello my name is Fordroth. Store Manager.


	41. Peace & Damnation: 2

Both devil hunters looked at each other with doubt on their faces. Nero pulled the Red Queen and said, "So, you're the asshole who runs this place."

Fordroth threw out his arms and said, "Guilty as charged."

Lady spoke up, "What does a demon want with money?"

Fordroth laughed maniacally, "Oh you poor lady - Lady. Please, come on up to my office. I want to talk to you two."

Nero asked surprised, "You want to do what? Sorry I have this 'deaf ear syndrome' for demons. Want to run that one by me again?"

Fordroth looked back, looking around with a little surprise of his own. "I want to talk to both of you in my office." He walked back in.

Lady looked over at Nero, "This has got to be a trap!"

Putting the Red Queen back, saying back to Lady, "Yeah, I figured Ackbar."

Lady sneered, "What?!"

Shaking his head as he went up the steps to the demon's office, "Nothing!" Knowing she might not get the joke. Retracting her neck with a confusing stair, Lady accompanied him up the steps. The two entered the top office with their eyes locked on the demon. He was sitting behind his desk with his hands clasped together. Motioning for them to take a seat. Lady and Nero sat cautiously.

They looked around the office not noticing much but a strange motivational poster. It had a picture of a silver-haired man with long finger nails in his late 60's. He was handing a small boy a baseball card with an apple in the other. Written below the picture was:

_Needful Things_

_Because who needs Underworld powers when people are this stupid!_

Nero shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Lady felt cumbersome in her seat. Her rocket launcher not making her feel better.

Fordroth sitting behind his desk. His hands clasped together with a big grin on his face. "So, anything I can get for you two? Coffee, tea, something stronger perhaps?"

The two sat quietly. Nero wondering why he just didn't pull his sword and terminate the demon right now.

"Okay, nothing then." Patting his desk nervously. "I see you two are demon hunters? You know we have a great stock for demon hunters such as yourselves! Why just today we -"

Lady yelled out "Can it! We want to know what's going on around here!" Twirling her finger around the office meaning the entire town.

Looking at them sort of shocked, Fordroth said calm and business-like, "I'm a simple business man who -"

Nero got up and shoved the Blue rose right in his face. "Alright Crayola, you got five seconds to tell me what your game is or I blow your head off!"

Fordroth snarled at the gun saying, "Don't you get it?! There is no game! There's no soul stealing, no magic being used. These people just buy our stuff automatically. They don't have cash that's okay, we give them store credit and all kinds of great deals. I don't force anybody to do anything! Oblix Placid Products does not force not one customer to make a purchase he or she doesn't want to make. We just offer the deals." He tugged on his shirt prideful, "I can't help it there such good deals!"

Leaning forward, Lady said, "No! you're doing something to these people. I have never been roped in like this by any demon before. You're using something. You have this whole town over some kind of spell!"

Shaking his head, Fordroth replied, "No I don't. They are buying for them."

Still with the Blue Rose trained on the red-scaled demon, "Then how are you getting their souls?"

Standing up calmly, Fordroth said quietly, "You believe that OPP, the glorious corporation that it is, actually wants souls?"

Nero looked around confused.

Walking around his desk, Fordroth continued on, "No, no my boy. There is much, much more. Souls?! They're for rookies. Who wants a soul when you can have freewill."

Swinging the Blue Rose with the demon, Nero kept the pistol trained with Lady pushing his arm down wanting to hear the demon go on.

Walking towards a window in the office that looked out to the floor, Fordroth kept his back to the two. "I've been at this for over 800 years and you know what I've learned? People are willing to sell their freewill before their willing to sell their soul. They don't protect their freewill. A gift giving to them by their great and powerful deity. A gift that makes them different than any other living creature on this planet." Folding his hands behind his back. "Been there for the Black Death to the fall of the Berlin Wall to the invention of the internet. All I have learned is that people don't respect this gift. It is so easy to take away from them." Turning around to face the two, "So, can I offer you any weapons today?" A large smile gliding over his face.

Nero looked at Lady as he asked of Fordroth, "You know what my freewill's telling me?"

"What's that?" He asked arrogantly.

Nero pulled the trigger back blowing the demon's head right off his shoulders sending his headless body through the large, plane glass window. It fell to the floor and a river of blood came from the dead body. Nero blew away the smoke from the barrel and walked down the steps with Lady at his back. When they got back down to the floor, they stood over the dead body with Lady looking around at the stock boys. She squinted with confusion and readiness. "Why are they still like they are?"

Now Nero was looking around as they stayed in their zombie-like state and he answered a little intimidated. "I don't know."

Up from Fordroth's blood came a male figure. It was just this black figure made from his blood. It rose forming to a man shape. It had red eyes and spoke with a normal man's voice looking at Fordroth's dead body. "Tisk-tisk." A clipboard appeared in his hand apparently writing something on it. "Mr. Skelcore is not going to be very pleased about this."

Nero spun the Blue Rose back under his coat and took a slash at the liquid form but all the black liquid did was split and reform. Like Nero was slashing at a black waterfall.

The man shape held up a finger nonchalantly at him still writing on its clipboard. After it was done it looked at the two with its red eyes. "Oh. This is going to slow production down for awhile. Yes, Mr. Skelcore will definitely be displeased." He rubbed his thumb and index finger on the bridge of its liquid, formed nose. "Okay. You two no longer are allowed to buy OPP products. Please, exit the store in an orderly fashion."

Lady pulled her handgun and sent five shots into the thing's head but the bullets passed through the liquid form as he sighed. "Please leave. Mr. Skelcore is already going to chew me out for this. Replacing a store manger is not easy. You no longer have access to OPP product sales, deals, or any other promotions or products we have."

The two looked at each other as Nero sent out the Devil Bringer and tried to grab the liquid form. He grabbed nothing as it snapped back saying, "Mr. Skelcore will pursue this. I hope you two have a good lawyer!" It then sunk down into the floor disappearing right in front of them.

The two devil hunters just looking flabbergasted at each other. Nero went to ask something but Lady just put up her hand shaking her head. She holstered her handgun and began walking out of the store. Nero followed closely behind.

Charging out of the store in a fury, Lady angrily walked through the parking lot seeing more of the same. Nero right behind her trying to get her attention. Finally he grabbed he by the shoulder, yelling at her, "What is wrong, damn it?! Look, we've got to go back in there and find the real demon with the energy to lock this town down!"

Pointing at him with rage in her eyes, "Don't you get it Nero?! These people can't be saved!"

Nero looked at them perplexed. Looking back at Lady, "What do you mean?!"

"They don't want to be saved. I almost became one of them. No demon did this. This is of their own doing! They can't be saved because they think there is nothing to save them from!"

"Doesn't mean we just give up!"

"I know. That's why we've got to figure out more about this OPP. Swords and guns are not going to help us here or these people." She walked away from him again.

The car they had both arrived in pulled up and Lady opened the back door with Nero opening the other to get in. He stopped though asking, "Why does this feel like a failure?!"

Lady rested her head on the open door, "Can't win them all Nero. If we are going to save this town we needed patience and some different weapons."

"Like what?!"

"The legal kind." Lady answered, getting into the back of the vehicle.

Looking back at the townspeople, Nero said with melancholy, "I remember when hunting down demons use to be fun." He got in and closed the door with the car driving off.


	42. The Dead Dancer: 1

**(A/N: This one was inspired and written in honor of one of the best friends that I have ever had in my life. She is a dear friend and an absolutely wonderful poet. Her work called Dead Dancer called to me creating this story for Stylish Crusades. She also picked all the songs for this as well and helped me with the character's look and design. For that I give her illustrious props and without her this story would have not been possible. So thank you to Lady Krios.**

**If you would like to read her work, here is the link to her profile on Fiction Press where you can read the** **original Dead Dancer and much more wonderful poetry she has written: u/904630/Lady-Krios**

**Also, if you would like to hear the song used in this, here is the link for that as well: watch?v=Tw-ArzPl0bg**

**Enjoy everybody!)**

* * *

A thundering came down a dark road from a motorcycle as the moon shined down on the lonely looking hotel. Dante pulled up next to the hotel with his bike. The engine rumbling like a storm. He dismounted alone turning off the bike staring down the hotel. A smirk across his face looking over the building. He was a bit thrilled to have a job. Walking to the front door he rang the doorbell as a man came opening the door anxiously, seemingly frightened. Opening the door he said, "Oh thank God! You came."

Dante walked in quietly striding up to the check-in desk. He folded his arms and leaned against the desk. With his same cocky tone asked, "Alright, what made you call my services?"

The man rubbed his hands nervously approaching the tall, white-haired demon slayer in the red coat. "Well sir, we…"

"Dante."

"Yes of course. Dante - we seem to have a problem with - uhm - ghosts."

Cocking an eyebrow at the penguin-suited concierge, "Ghosts? You called me here for - ghosts?" Looking away Dante cleared his throat with aggravation, "You do know that I handle more troublesome customers, right?"

"The man who picked up on the phone said you'd be delighted to help."

Dante dragged his hand across his face, "Get my office on the line right now!"

The concierge grabbed the front desk phone and dialed the number. Dante snatched the receiver and sniffed the air looking furiously in a nonspecific direction. Listening to the ringing he heard Morrison's voice, "Alright Dante, I can explain!"

"You told me this was going to be a productive case!"

"It is! That hotel has been the site of over a thousand murders in a three-hundred year period!"

"So its an evil hot zone?"

"Yes!"

"So why am I not hip-deep in demons right now?!"

"Because ghosts are running amuck there."

"Yeah Morrison, ghosts. I'd take another hotel of witches at this point! Ghosts?! Are you trying to bore me to death?! They won't even put up a fight!"

"Not from what they told me. They have been quiet so far. Even helping with some of the things around the hotel but something's got them riled. Even to the point they've killed a few guests."

"Morrison, I want something…"

"Something that pays! They are promising a heavy paycheck if you handle there spectral problem."

Dante took a sigh rubbing his forehead. "I'll call you back in five minutes." He slammed the receiver down spinning Ebony out from his coat. Looking at the concierge, "This won't take long."

Walking away he went up a few steps and walked the hallways. Wooden, polished walls stared the son of Sparda back. A small writing desk outside of every fifth room or so. He nodded his head with slight agreement. He missed this old-world style of hotel design. Checking one of the rooms he found nothing. He went up to the next floor and sighed bored. He shouted out, "Hey! Ghosts! Whatever! Look, I don't have all night! Get your sheety backsides out here!"

Nothing. Dante hung his head.

He then said to himself, "Its going to be one of those cases, isn't it?! I've got to find the gears to put in a slot so I can open the door to get the staff to put it in the picture so that the portal will open so the old lady can swallow the spider to swallow the fly - Come on!"

A moan suddenly echoed through the hall as a pale specter slipped through the wall in front of Dante. Chains hanging from his body with a large hat. It moaned out with a long beard and pure white eyes.

Spinning Ebony, Dante aimed right for the ghosts and shot. It moaned out in agony and dissipated from sight. Dante looked around. "Wait! Is that it?!" He looked around again. "Hello?" Nothing. Ghost gone.

Pulling at his coat in aggravation spinning Ebony back into its holster, Dante said, "Thanks for this Morrison. You own me an extra large pizza for this one. And I want extra pepperoni this time!"

Turning to head out he heard a moan. Snapping Ebony on the auditable target he saw the chain ghost was back. It flew right past him. He shrugged saying in annoyed query, "Hey! Where're you going?! Get you're chained sheets back here pal!"

Then Dante heard another noise. Another moan. Rolling his eyes he aimed Ebony weakly but was greeted by another ghost. This one seemed more corporeal than the first. Much more gruesome too. She stood at a dainty 5 feet. She had on a white dancing dress with blood soaked into it. Her hair seemed to be a black sludge. Her skin a pale grey with white orbs for eyes. Blue veins covering them like spider-webbing. She took a step towards Dante with glass in her feet propping them up like high heels. Every time she took a step blood seeped from her feet. The glass never driving in further. Just constantly holding her weight as eternal torment. Her wrists also cut as she displayed them to Dante opening her mouth. A black chasm of no teeth, no tongue, no anything. A blackness that stared right into Dante's soul.

A little unsettled by this, Dante said, "Well, at least we've got some other ghosts that look like they might actually be a challenge for me." He shot at her and the bullet snapped her head back landing a direct hit to her forehead. She snapped her head back at Dante with a menacing jeer. She then screamed at him and drove him back.

Flying back, Dante crashed through the window behind him and slammed into the ground below. His bike fell over from the shockwave as he got up with aches and pains. "Damn, that beauty/beast has got a set of lungs on her!"

Walking sideways he shook off the glass and disorientation, walking back towards the hotel. That was when he saw his bike downed. He picked it back up and looked at the guitar case in the back. Looking at it, clicking it open, he saw that his guitar was unharmed. Breathing a relieved sigh he checked the rest of the bike seeing a small, inch scratch on the side. "Oh, you've had it now Cinder-dead-la!"

Marching back, Dante tore both of his guns from his coat speeding back up to the third floor. He went around each corner cautiously. Wondering where the chain ghost was from before, he heard a noise coming from a room.

Edging up against the wall with both guns he kicked in the door and aimed inside. Nothing. Just an old recorded player skipping on a recorded and blood trails on the floor in an overlapping, swirling pattern. Lowering his guns, Dante said to himself, "Yeah, you've been here."

Approaching the record player he took off the needle and looked at the LP. He read the label aloud, "George Gershwin. Piano classics."

Dante raised his brow in curiosity. He set the record back on the deck and put the needle back on the original place he had taken it off from. The music began to play again and it was Lullaby.

Walking over to a chair, Dante sat for minute and listened. Definitely not his kind of music. However, he still accepted that it was classical and deserved a shred of respect. However, what really caught his attention was the blood left on the floor. It swirled and flowed beautifully. This dead women with glass in her feet had been dancing. Dante, with a keen eye, looked at the pattern and saw that she was absolutely graceful. Almost not a splatter on the ground. The blood was eloquently laid and dribbled.

Tracking it, Dante walked over it, trying to follow her steps with the music. He bent down at the final, freshest steps seeing that she had had a big finish. A pool of blood as she had extend her leg up high and balance on the ball of her toe.

Standing back up he asked to himself, "You were very well-trained at one time, weren't you?"

He walked over to the record player and took the needle off. Nearly walking out he heard something making his head twist in its direction. Readying his guns he tensed for action against her.

It was just another ghost. Seeming to be a young guy with a coach cap and a dress vest. Seemingly from 1930 or later. Dante lowered his guns as the ghost looked at him lazily and moaned out.

Dante stood with a faint smile, "Sorry, not looking for a fight with you."

Suddenly, she faded in through the bookshelves making Dante snap his guns back up with intensity. It was too late though.

She folded her arms around the other ghost as he moaned out sorrowfully. Her arms encircling him with sparks of electricity surged from her finger tips. Dante shot out twice but every bullet went right through her head as she hissed loudly at him. With a sneer, Dante fired several times trying to shoot her off the other ghost but it didn't work when it should have.

Watching her envelop the other ghost, Dante watched in disgust as she seemed to suck him into her. He moaned out as he disappeared inside of her clutches. A bright beam coming from his mouth as he was assimilated by her.

She threw open her arms with a blast of light coming from her. It blinded Dante as he holstered his guns pulling Rebellion. "Some headlights you have there babe!" He went at her with his sword as she screamed at him sending him through a wall into the hallway. Floating above the floor, dripping blood from her glass-stabbed souls, she hovered towards him with her arms outstretched and lightning coming from her fingertips. Her blood soaked dress fluttering from a strange wind that surrounded her. Much like constant static making her hair fly out and her eyes dimly glow. Somehow, she had gotten more power from the ghosts she absorbed. Dante had never seen that before.

Down on the floor he got up slowly as the ghost approached. He stood sighing with frustration. Shaking his shoulders, rolling his head, "Alright chick! Let's dance!" Running at her with his sword back he launched with a hard swipe.

She pirouetted and Dante flew into the music room and crashed into the record player stand. His own force driving him into the old player. Getting up, pushing debris off him, he stood with his sword sheathed and his guns out.

Firing at the dancer ghost he bounded off the doorframe charging at her. She bent backwards and Dante sent a barrage of lead into her but all he did was shoot-up the floor beneath. His bullets not having the same effect on her as they did on other ghosts.

Tumbling, rolling back onto his feet, Dante spun around with both guns locked on her and she pirouetted again for no apparent reason. Sticking her foot in the air, bring it to almost touch her face, Dante was quite impressed with her flexibility. Thoughts began to travel in his mind of how wonderful a dancer was when she was alive. She let her foot down with a bolt charging out from it. Dante cart-wheeled away from it, blasting past, with him coming to his feet with a cocky, "You're not the only one with moves around here honey!"

Bending back, spinning in another pirouette, she brought her arms together in front and began to make a cyclone inside the hallway. Bringing her one foot expertly to her knee like a figure skater or a ballerina. Dante struggled against it as he stood from the force getting close. He then let the wind whip him back and shot out at her. Flying backwards, sending a cascade of lead at her, Dante flew into another room sending out a storm of gunfire.

The ghost stopped and screeched at him as she flew away slipping through a wall and out of sight. Dante chassed her down but couldn't pass through walls himself. He kicked the wall with his boot in aggravation and walked away with a frill of his coattail. Spinning his guns back in their holsters, Dante said to himself, "Alright. Time to give Morrison another call."


	43. The Dead Dancer: 2

"What?! What do you mean it didn't work?!" Morrison's voice asked surprised.

"My bullets did nothing and I couldn't hit her with my sword!" Dante said angrily.

"Alright tell me again what happen?"

"I shot her and nothing happened!"

"No! Before that!"

"She was dancing to some classical music and I got there just after she left. Then, here comes this other ghost. Just standing there looking all weak so I didn't shoot him. That's when she came back and sucked him in!"

"What do you mean sucked him in?"

"You heard me Morrison. She hugged him from behind and then he was gone and she was a lot more powerful after that."

Morrison went quiet for a minute. He silently thought. After nearly two minutes of silence, he asked, "What happen to that first ghost you saw?"

"Don't know. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was running from her. He looked big enough though. He seemed to handle himself. That ghost looked like a pirate or something."

"This dancing ghost? She came after him?"

"Not before sending me out of a window. Yeah, and she scratched my bike! I'm going to get her Morrison!"

Already hearing the pattering of keyboard keys, Dante held on the line for a few seconds before saying, "Yeah, I'm going to get going Morrison. Get me some back story on this crazy chick."

"Wait Dante!"

"What?!" He asked annoyed.

"I've already figured that out. I need to figure out if my theory's correct."

"What theory?" Dante asked slightly curious.

"In what she is, I don't think she's a ghost. Well, not in the sense you know them."

"Different types of ghosts?"

Oh yes Dante! Just like demons there are different types of ghosts. And just like demons, there are different powered ones. Most ghosts, as you know them, are just lost and confused souls who haven't passed on. Most don't know they're dead or don't want to leave. But they are the ones who stay with purpose. Ones who wish revenge or are so consciously ripped apart by death and agony they become tortured sprits.

Now at first, and with what you told me about that yell she did; knocking you out of that window, I thought she was a siren. That didn't make sense though because sirens tend to ward off other ghosts. They are so powerful no ghosts can stomach a siren's call. Then, I looked up a banshee. No rotten luck there because if this girl is who I think she is, she's no banshee. If you ever run into them, you'll know it!"

"Alright Morrison enough about what its not!"

"She's a poltergeist."

"A what?"

"A poltergeist. Looking at most folklore on poltergeist they tell two different stories. The one is that they are malevolent sprits that have no real form and they cause the living serious injuries with solid objects."

"I can tell you for a fact that isn't it!"

"Yeah, that's usually just prankster ghosts being jerks. The second popular legend is that they are teenage sprits with some unfinished business. Virgin souls that have yet to crossover and need to stay with the living locked to their lineage."

"Not it either."

"I know Dante. Which brings me right around to what it is. And it's a lot more powerful than both! According to a few things I dug out of the Church's mainframe, the…"

"What church?"

"Thee Church, Dante."

With a slick, sly smile on his face, Dante asked happily assuming, "Wait! Morrison, you hacked the pope?!"

A sigh of frustration, "I didn't 'hack the pope' Dante! I just tapped into one of the Vatican's mainframes. They have dozens if not more. All with back-up files. I was just copying down some info they don't like people having from the Key Of Solomon. You'd be surprised at how much info I get from it."

"How did you…"

"Dante would you please focus!"

"Alright so what is an 'actual' one of these things?"

"A poltergeist is sort of a Pied-Piper of ghosts. Either they attracts ghosts to them or they travel for - ever looking for a haunting with more than one ghost. Usually prisons, hotels, sunken cruise-liners - churches There's even one story about a preacher who knew all this stuff and kept a bunch of his followers in a deep hole with him. Told them some stupid story about the end of the world. We're talking 30 or more people. They died in that hole with him."

"Alright so what do these Piper ghosts do with all the others?"

"They feed off their energy. They either suck them dry slowly or they just absorb them all at once. She's going one-by-one while draining the others slowly. Think of poltergeists like a magnet. There's always that pull on a metal object near a magnet. The closer the ghosts, the stronger the pull. Until the poltergeist absorbs the ghosts completely."

With a stern tone, Dante asked, "What happens to the ghost Morrison?"

"Its absorbed. The only way it can move on now is when the poltergeist does. Poltergeists gather energy to do what they never got to do in life."

Taking a long breath, "I take it this is where her story comes in?"

"The dead dancer wanders here." Morrison said with a rhythmic tone. "Lost in madness, pain, and fear. Her crimson dress and fluttering wings, dark secrets and hateful sins. Her ebony eyes they do not see. The dead dancer who is she?"

"Morrison, we don't have time for poetry."

"No Dante, its an excerpt from the poem written on Lizvetta Ravyenskroft's tombstone. In a forgotten New York cemetery."

Looking away from the phone, "Sounds Russian."

"It is. Or, she was. She was born in Russia. About 1898. She didn't know her parents and left Russia as soon as she could, picking up odd jobs to support her true passion."

"Let me guess? Dancing."

"Right. She went to Germany, France, the U.K, and I believe Switzerland and Norway at some point. She made a good friend in the U.K before coming to New York. There was a dancing competition and her and her friend placed first and second. Of course, Lizvetta won and was given a free pass to Broadway.

When she was on Broadway, she was a top seller and in the 1920's that's saying something during that time. She opened for huge, gala-events. Was never a main event but she was usually an opener. Not enough to bring her friend over though to dance with her. That's all she seemed to want was just her friend to accompany her on dancing. She was saving up for her to come over to the States." Morrison cleared his throat. "That was when things went downhill for her. She got involved with the mob and by the time her friend had arrived, Lizvetta was dead."

Looking down slight sympathetic, Dante asked, "What did they do to her?"

"They left her on stage Dante. They poured acid in her eyes, drove glass shards through her feet. They cut her wrists to make it look like a suicide. Only her friend knew better. A few people mourned her passing."

"You said she was a big hit?!"

"People didn't care back then! She was Russian. That made her just as bad if not worse than any German, Irishman, Italian, or any other immigrant. The police didn't look into it. Wrists slashed - case closed."

Dante shook his head with slight empathy, "Never was easy for her, was it?"

"No Dante, it wasn't. Cradle to the grave she was just a lost, lonely dancer."

With determination washing over his face, Dante sternly said, "Not anymore." He slammed the receiver down and looked at the concierge. "You got a large room down here?"

"There's one of the lobbies."

"Big enough for couples' dancing?"

"Say what?"

"Show me!" Dante demanded. He was on a mission now. Hell-bent to not only save this dancer but also save the ghosts she had trapped in her. There was no telling how many lost souls she had gobbled up either accidentally or intentionally.

The concierge lead him through a wooden archway and proceeded through two lobbies until reaching the one he had mentioned. "This is it." He told Dante and the devil slayer walked in looking it over. It was slightly smaller than he would have liked but had a big, open space with a shining, wooden floor. A big, maroon, Victorian style chair just sitting in the corner with a small reading table. Around him were large windows that lit up the room with moonlight and a few burning street lights outside. Cascading into the room making an eerie combination of orange and silver illumination.

Walking, Dante surveyed the room. Nodding his head in approval he glanced over his shoulder at the concierge, "You know the old recorded player?"

"In the upstairs study? Yes?"

"Get it." A dark tone in Dante's voice spilling out of him like an evil incantation.

At first, the concierge was a little shocked but her just nodded and brought the recorded player down. Dante instructed him to put it right next to the chair with the concierge moving the reading table out of the way and placing the equipment next to the chair. Looking at it, Dante noticed the record still on it. The man went to move the record off but Dante jolted out his arm, "Leave it!" Yelling at the small human. The concierge ran out of the room and Dante turned on a light switch.

The small lobby area lit up with bright light drowning out the ethereal glow of the moon and streetlights. Now it looked like a refurnished dancing floor. Dante smiled and he looked at the record player and lowered the needle onto the record. It made that familiar scratch and the music slowly came out. At first, it was a bit warbled but it corrected quickly with the music emitting from the horn on the player echoing through out the conjoining lobbies. The concierge sitting behind his desk swallowing his fear in what was about to happen.

The music was piano. George Gershwin. Prelude #1. Dante liked this piece better than the one from before.

Feeling a presence coming his way like a speeding locomotive he smiled. He knew it was her.

Charging through a wall she pranced into the room on her bleeding feet with that glass in the arches and heels. She looked at him calmly with flashes of blue sparks and her blue veined eyes blinking at him like a curious, ghastly white, alien.

Dante stood from the chair and said, "I thought that would bring you here."

The pool of blood collecting under her feet as she took a step daintily towards him walking on the glass like heeled shoes. Her hips swayed with the experience of a trained and beautiful dancer. It made Dante feel for her all the more.

Traveling over to the record player she began to sway to the music. Her arms lifted and she turned slowly tapping a bit.

Suddenly the music picked up and Dante grabbed her by the hand and by her waist. As fist she hissed at him but he began to dance with her. He was nowhere near as skilled as her but he did his best as the first prelude played.

Lizvetta was amazing as her feet lightly danced across the floor and Dante just guided her by her hips and hand. He took big strides with her and she moved accordingly. Even being dead and a ghost she still felt the slight inexperience with her red-coated partner. She knew how to adjust. Trained in France how to accommodate an untalented lead she widened her steps but still kept every move just as she learned it. A little more elongated than she was use to but she was too thrilled to care. She had what she had always, desperately wanted. A dancing partner.

Dante carried her a little as she pushed him back a bit, pirouetting slowly. Waving her hands slightly, gesturing Dante back in, he obliged and this time lead her face-to-face as the prelude came to a close. It was a powerful, illustrious close with Dante having to carry her a bit but there was no weight. He smirked as Lizvetta glided through the air, about the room, her legs opening up like wings on a dove carrying her round as Dante just kept his hands on her hips and hand. Both well in-tune with each other as he let her spin one last time throwing her hands up on the tips of her toes right with the music. His smirk becoming a smile as Lizvetta smiled as well. She looked at him and smiled even wider. A trail of blood had been left but Dante knew she couldn't help that.

He himself enjoyed the dance but then a new piece came on. Prelude 2. He just shrugged as the slow, somber tone took her as she glided around the room slowly as she somewhat beckoned Dante to take her again. To lead her in dance. He was not ignorant at all at the body motions of a woman.

Extending his arms a bit, again they began to dance. She leaned into him this time as he nearly took off. Snaking an arm around him she kept her pace light, slow-dancing with him. Her head nuzzled into his chest as he lightly paced with her. He would change direction every so often. Most of the time when he felt a bit of more energy from her, beckoning him to move with the music. He did so.

Lizvetta's smiled even wider as she really couldn't feel Dante's chest but she was still there with him. Even though she had never known this man before or even seeing him before tonight, it was tonight that he had opened his arms to her. She didn't know why and didn't care. Tonight she felt peace. A feeling she had not felt in a very, very long time.

It wound off even slower than it had began and Both Lizvetta and Dante had smiles on their faces. Dante's was bit more awkward but he was happy he could help her. He enjoyed his slashing and gun usage but tonight, he was sentimental and was going to give this woman just one night of peace in her lonely, dead existence.

The third and final prelude started and she directed him to the chair were she danced for him. The third prelude song was like one and two combined with a somber melody but played exaggeratedly.

This was where Lizvetta showed off her true skill to him as he sat in the chair. Dancing moves that Dante believed not even some of the most skilled ballerinas in the world could pull off. Every step in time with the song. To call them kicks would have been insulting. They were lifts of limber limbs. To call them twirls or spins would have been insufficient. Pirouettes of punctual performance not seen for some 8 decades. To say she was dancing would have been an understatement. She was stopping time with her miraculous movements to every measure of music ushering forth from the old record player.

The song came to an abrupt stop and she stopped as well in grace, form, and beauty. Not even breathing heavy. Dante didn't know if that was because she was dead or because she was so well-trained but he figured it was both. A smirk was across his face. He had enjoyed watching her more than any ballerina or dancer. Her love for music was nearly the same as his. Even though they both loved different music it was still music and they both enjoyed it tremendously.

Dante watched as her head tilted downwards slowly and she lightly smiled at him. It hid a sadness. She knew the time was over. She was starting to depart. Her time was over with as Dante stood and said, "Wait."

She stopped. She was going to move on but she had time for him. She had eternity for him.

Dante said in his usual, arrogant tone, "I'm going to let you go but before that I want to give you something. One music lover to another."

She blinked her white, blue-veined eyes at him curiously.

Walking out of the room, Dante proceed outside with Lizvetta waiting on him. He picked up his guitar case. Carrying it back inside he looked at the concierge who was shaking behind his desk. Watching Dante he asked, "Is it over?"

He shook his head, "Not yet." Carrying on he walked back into the lobby where Lizvetta was waiting patiently. She seemed to be stretching. Sitting back down he heard her moan. It was a strange combination of glee and sadness. She recognized the case but what Dante pulled out was not what she had pictured inside.

Holding the neck of the guitar, Dante also pulled out a small amp. He plugged both in and took his pick. He sat down in the chair with neck and strings in hand. He sat there with his pick and that familiar hum of the amp. Before starting he looked at Lizvetta saying, "I don't know if you'll like this or not but it came to mind when I first saw you. I heard this in a movie Nero was watching, him being the big movie buff, and I had to learn it. It's short but I hope you like it."

Dante let the first wail go out and Lizvetta winced at first but then Dante started changing chords and she got used to it. It started sounding like an actual song to her. She closed her eyes and letting the music carry her. The guitar talking to her as she danced about feeling the hard chords. It brought her back to some of the first Russian dancing she learned when she was young. Quick, snap movements mixed with slight ballet but not much. Just actual kicks and snap movements with her body.

Watching with skilled concentration, Dante tried to remember every chord as he let both of his hand dance on the neck and strings. Making it whine at certain spots and then roar out at others. He seemed to be enjoying the solo as much as she was. As he played for her he watched with relieve as she dance to it. Not recognizing the type he continued on playing out the last notes, extending the chords as long as possible not to ruin the small solo.

Ending on one last pirouette she walked over to him after he was finished and he wasn't sure what to do. His one hand moving to Ivory just in case. She kissed him on the cheek with her cold lips saying in a deep whisper, "Thank you."

She then floated away and evaporated into black ash. Dante saw flames rise off her and watched her being burn into nonexistence. He stood up in saddened shock and walked over to the ash pile as it faded into nothingness. He turned and saw nearly ten or more ghosts standing to his side. They all passed on too but not like she did. They seemed to be whisked away to some unknown paradise. Dante didn't feel that with Lizvetta. That her pain had engulfed her to a place he had been a few times before.

Hanging his head he returned his instruments back to the case and began to walk out of the hotel. The concierge stopped him and asked, "Hey! Did you get rid of the ghosts?"

Dante stood with his back to the small man just before the doorway outside. Looking at his bike in despair he said, "I got rid of a ghost. She was the one causing you problems. You have nothing else to worry about."

"What if she comes back?!"

"She won't." Dante said darkly.

"Well, I hope she got what she deserved." the little man said angrily.

Dante slowly turned his head with an evil jeer in his eye. Snaps of red energy surged through him His own demon form growling at its confines to be unleashed. He asked, "You ever had a passion before?"

"Of course, but…"

"No you haven't. If you did, you would have told me what it was as soon as I asked. When somebody has a passion like her or me, they'll do almost anything for it. Even give up their souls for it. I think that's what she did. I don't know how or when but at some point she gave everything to be a great dancer.

Did she get what she deserved? I don't know. I don't make the rules. I just hope wherever she is, she's still dancing. One thing I am sure about. Not even Hell itself destroyed her talent. I'm sure its tried before."

The concierge was unsure if he should ask but he had to, "And what's your passion?"

Immediately, Dante pulled Ivory from under his coat and held it close. He made sure the little concierge got a good look at the shining, well-kept weapon. Breathing heavily the little man shook in fear.

Dante spun the gun back under his coat and walked out saying to the little man coldly, "Call Morrison. He'll give you the account information to send the money." Getting on his bike, returning the case, flipping his coat on the bike, Dante revved the throttle, saying to himself, "The dead dancer. Its got a ring to it." He roared down the road as the darkness was giving way to day.

* * *

**(A/N: Thank you to all my readers. This was a special project for me and I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Again, thank you to Lady Krios for the idea, the songs, and for being one of the best damn friends a guy could ask for. Links for the songs can be found down below on YouTube:**

** watch?v=YLzXm984h54**

** watch?v=qAd_2itmYOg**

**All of you make this possible as well. Thank you for reading and I hope I continue to make this a wonderful series for you all to enjoy. And again, thank you so much for reading. Your reviews and/favorites really help me to continue this series.)**


	44. Momma's Girl: 1

Trish looked at her partner for the case. "You going to say anything at all?"

"Nope." Vergil said. His eyes locked on the road as he drove. His grip getting tight on the steering wheel. The dirt road long and dusty as sand was kicked up by the car and the sun beamed in the window blinding them both. The spanning desert lay out before the two. Barren yellow and orange wasteland of the American southwest. Vergil barely flinched enjoying the pain in his eyes. Trish was less than pleased about it. She had her visor down in the passenger seat as the car turned slightly with her wondering how he could drive with the glair in his eyes.

She asked, "You can see, huh?"

"I see everything." Vergil said monotonous. His grip got tighter as he flashed a glance at his reluctant partner. "Morrison come up with anything new yet about the train?"

"He's - having a hard time tracking it."

"How is that possible? All he has to do is follow the rails."

"Its not staying on the rails."

Vergil thought he should be surprised by that but he wasn't. "Still, it's a train. A train traveling off track might even be easier to find than one staying on the rails."

"Maybe you should stay on track!" Trish said angrily.

With that machine-like face and heartless, cold tone, Vergil asked, "You don't care for me too much, do you Trish?"

Giving him an ice cold stair, "Now whatever gave you that idea?" Her sarcastic tone more than evident. Her eyes burning with a hidden hate.

Vergil just gave her a sly, slick, and evil smirk. A smirk like he was about to do something incredibility evil, "I can't imagine why."

"I was created - you choose."

"So that's what has got your leather in a twist?" Vergil asked, his voice still the same timbre. "What a stupid thing to be jealous of."

"Stupid?! Jealous?!" A half-cocked, angered smirk came over Trish's face as she felt her sword hand getting itchy and her anger boiling. "The only reason I haven't sliced your head off yet is because your Dante's brother."

Still concentrating on the road, driving like a robot, "You're welcome to try - anytime you feel like it."

With a mean, evil look in her eye, Trish replied with a pleasant sound to her voice, "I'll remember that."

"For now -" Vergil checked the rearview mirror, "Let's go back down this again."

"Fire away jerk."

Glancing at her with a hard stair, harder than usual, Vergil said, "Four men, two women, several children, and a few others; gone in less than a month. All disappeared into the small trailer park."

Staring ahead, not wanting to sully her vision anymore with Dante's more arrogant brother, "One of them was a priest. The two were bikers, and the first a vacuum cleaner salesmen. That's where it first started."

"What do they have in common?" Vergil asked.

"Not a thing!" Trish said looking at her phone and the details Morrison had sent them. "Except they were men."

"Succubus?"

Trish shook her head, "No. Where did the two girls go and the children?"

"Hungry succubus."

Letting out an irritated groan, putting her head in her hand, "No! Succubus's are picky eaters. They want men's souls."

"Maybe its another naga. Like the one Nero faced awhile back."

"Could be. I doubt it though."

"Why is that?"

"Probably would have heard more about it if it was."

"Not unless its smarter this time."

"Maybe it's a ghoul?"

Now Vergil was shaking his head, "They're necrotic cannibals. They don't eat souls."

Making a fist in front of her mouth, Trish said slightly irritated, "We don't even know if it is a soul eater."

"True. Bodies were never discovered."

"That's not true."

Vergil looked at Trish curiously. "Yeah?"

"Morrison said one body was discovered. Desicloated."

Looking at her confused, Vergil asked, "What?"

Trish looked at her phone, "Desiclated? Desi - what the - what is this word?!"

Vergil pulled his phone and looked, "Desiccated."

"What does it mean?"

Vergil put his phone back, "It means the body was drained of all its blood and fluids."

"Oh god!"

"What?"

"It was one of the kids."

Not having any noticeable reaction, Vergil's voice gained a slight growl, "Probably what happened to everybody."

They turned into a small hamlet as Vergil drove carefully and slowly taking in the sight of nearly hundred year old looking buildings. Seemingly unkempt for a century. Trish watched the decrepit houses and buildings go by with equally decrepit looking people. "What do you think? Vampires? Giant leeches?" Trish stopping there not wanting to go any more deeper into what it could be.

"Actually -" Vergil said with a little flare of curiosity, "There are stories of American mummification."

"Wait!" Trish said with a sickening sneer, "You think there's somebody out there trying to create their own mummy army?!"

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds stupid." Vergil said disappointedly.

She rolled her eyes as Vergil pulled into a large trailer park. They stopped at one small trailer as both of them exited the car. Trish and Vergil both looked on with the blue-coated, demon slayer saying, "This is it. This is the home of the widow."

Coming around the vehicle, Trish responded, "The vacuum cleaner salesman?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." Trish said heading towards the trailer.

Nearly stopping her, Vergil harshly asked, "Where are you going?!"

Looking around confused, Trish softly said, "To talk to the widow."

"We have no idea what's in there. You aren't going in there with out backup."

"I can handle myself!" Trish snapped back. "Besides, you can't question them."

"Why not?" Vergil asked slightly annoyed.

Cocking her eyebrow at him, Trish just took in his machine-like face, hard stair, and sword in-hand. "Call it a hunch. You'll interrogate them."

"So?"

Again, Trish rolled her eyes. "If you do come in, don't grill them. The woman just lost her husband."

Gritting his teeth he growled out, "We have to be thorough!"

"I know, and we can be, without you getting all psycho samurai on them."

Vergil took offense. "Fine! But if I get a whiff of strangeness, the woman can join her husband in the hereafter."

Shaking her head, Trish walked up the small steps and knocked on the trailer screen door.

No answer. She didn't even hear anything moving inside the trailer.

Meanwhile, Vergil was scanning the park. Several trailers got his interest. One with a seemingly old biker type. Hard and mean looking. He was staring at Vergil from a window with a scowl. The other trailer was even more curious as it had quite a few cobwebs on it. It struck Vergil as odd. Web-making spiders not being the kind that frequented this part of the U.S. Even more odd was that he was sure there was an occupant.

Another knock from Trish and this time she heard subtle movement. It was slow and weak. A shuffling noise with a meandering sound to it. Sparda was resting on Trish's back but she was thinking it wouldn't be for long. The inner door to the screen popped open and a hard stair met Trish. Cold eyes of an elderly woman who draped her neck in a hand-knitted shawl. He skin white and pale with bony fingers and thinning, dark grey hair. With a firm, raspy voice she said to Trish, "Whatever you're selling young woman I'm - I'm not interested." She then slammed the inner door and shuffled off.

A sigh escaped Trish looking back at Vergil who just raised his hands, "I'm not saying a word."

Fixing her hair she said back, "Yeah thanks." She knocked again and spoke loudly, "Ma'am we're -" She tried to think of a good cover. She agreed with herself that she wasn't the best at this, "We're special investigators. Looking into the death of your - spouse?" She questioned at the last, wondering if the salesman was married to such an elderly woman. She had seen weirder.

She heard the woman again as she opened the door looking at Trish through the screen. "Young lady, I do hope your not referring to that wispy twenty-something my daughter was married to?"

"Oh your daughter then. May we speak with her?"

Looking at her cautiously the elderly woman jeered at them both. "Who did you say you worked for again? FBI?"

Trish was at a loss for cover. She looked at Vergil with a nodded of the head towards the woman, silently pleading for him to beguile the woman in someway.

Walking up to the door, "No ma'am. We are private investigators."

Again the elderly woman looked at them cautiously and decided to open the screen door for them. Telling both of them harshly, "She's inside. I'll get her."

Trish and Vergil stepped into the trailer both having to duck to miss the low doorway and rubbing their heads on the low ceiling. The woman went to the back of the trailer which neither of them could see into. Trish looked at Vergil with a sideways glance because of the ceiling, "PIs? Isn't that a little too close to home?"

Scanning the trailer like a machine, Vergil told her in a strict tone, "People tend to lockup on FBI. Private Investigators are not as intimidating."

Trish put her hands on her hips agitated. Yet, she couldn't argue Vergil's point. Didn't stop her from trying, "We're private investigators."

Sliding his gloved hand down the kitchen counter close to a brown recliner; the counter being the only thing that separated the living room from the kitchen, Vergil looked at his spotless glove saying "I prefer the term hunter. Some might say we're paranormal mercenaries." Finding the over-compulsive cleanliness odd but not out-of-place.

Folding her arms with a slight smile, Trish said happily, "I like it too."

The older woman came out with her daughter who seemed beyond shy. The word 'introverted' came to Vergil's mind yet he let the two pass him as the older woman sat in the recliner and the meek, young woman stayed by her mother's side. Much like a phantom of the trailer she seemed to just hover more than stand, looking down at her bare feet with a raggedy looking white, wedding dress on.

Both hunters now were on their guard. Her husband had went missing months ago yet she was still wearing her wedding dress. Vergil did not bother hiding his hard stair which she seemed oblivious to.

Speaking slightly with unease for the two women, Trish asked, "So, what's your name?" Her voice was condescending. She didn't mean for it to be but even though the younger woman looked to be about nineteen, her demeanor put her at about six.

The mother answered for her, snapping at Trish, "Her name is unimportant. Shouldn't you already know that by now!"

The pale, shy woman looked up from her bare feet and gave a timid smile at Vergil. Vergil didn't even flinch. If anything, his grip on his sword got tighter.

Trish looked at Vergil hopelessly but was determined, "We'd like it for the record."

A slight smirk came over Vergil impressed by the short yet believable answer Trish gave. Knowing she was not a woman who liked to be pushed, especially by bossy types, but seemed to be maintaining her composure.

The elderly woman gave out a huff. "Her name is Audrey. I'm Mildred."

Looking at her sensitively, Trish spoke to Audrey, "That's a pretty name."

Mildred, being the controlling type she was, said to them, "It's a lady's name. Which my little princess is." She patted Audrey on the face and she shied away from her touch.

Vergil knew that the younger of the two might not even talk to them. She certainly wasn't going to be able to answer any questions.

Trying once again, Trish asked, "Audrey, why are you still wearing your wedding dress? Do you miss him?"

Mildred grabbed the dress harshly around her daughter, tugging at it as she commanded, "I have told you about this thing! You shouldn't be wearing it. Especially when we have guests!"

A few words emptied from Audrey's lips. Soft and barely auditable with sadness overflowing from them, "Sorry momma."

"Take it off!"

"No momma."

"Why not?!"

"Because I miss him momma."

Mildred got up with a weary glance at the two visitors in her house. She held her daughter's face with both hands, saying to her, "You can't bring him back. It was just - you needed something to eat."

"No momma." Her eyes wide and full of fear.

She hugged her daughter, "Of course you do precious. You're eating for two now, remember?"

The two hunters looked at each other. Both of them getting an intensifying bad feeling by the second. The more Mildred and Audrey seemed to talk and interact, the more Trish and Vergil went on their guard.

Trying to force down that concern, Trish asked, "Tell me, what do you think happened to him?"

Mildred was still hugging her daughter as she looked at the two hunters. "Just get out! Can't you see my baby is traumatized!"

Trish motioned at Vergil as he snarled and frilled-out his coattails walking towards the front door. Trish bowed a bit saying, "Will be back later with some questions ma'am."

Mildred suddenly changed emotions quickly. "Young man!"

Vergil was already out the door when he looked back.

"You don't have to leave. Stay for dinner."

Audrey suddenly launched out with her arms, grabbing her mother, "No momma!"

"Oh honey, now I'm sure it will be good for him to stay. All that muscle probably needs some good food."

Trish forced a smile saying, "Well, thank you for the offer but…"

Mildred was quick interrupting her, "I'm not inviting you! I don't like you."

Surprised but with a wicked smile, Trish said, "Very well." She looked at Vergil with that same look adding a menacing, gritting of her teeth.

Vergil was a machine and said in a hard, commanding tone. "No." He turned and walked away from the trailer. Trish joined him. Nearly pushing her daughter down, Mildred poked her head out the two doors, "If you change your mind, supper is at six. All kinds of good stuff."

Vergil looked at her, "Blueberry pie?"

A perplexed look came over Mildred, "Um - no."

"Then I don't care."

Mildred slammed the door and looked at her daughter and smacked her hard across the face. "Damn it! You know you and that baby need all the nutrients you can get!"

Putting her hand caringly to her face, rubbing the deep red mark her mother had left, Audrey said, "But momma they didn't look to be like all the others."

"Yes I know that Audrey! I bet you don't even know who those two were, do you? Do you?!"" Mildred yelled at her daughter.

"I - private investigators?"

Another hard smack. This one nearly brought Audrey to her knees as Mildred angrily said, "Stupid child! You ever seen PIs wear those kinds of clothes and carry those kinds of weapons?! They were hunters!"

"What does that mean momma?"

"It means we let the rest have them." Mildred said heading for her phone.

"No momma! The others have done enough! They already killed my only two friends and those kids."

Picking up the receiver, Mildred began to rotor-dial, saying to Audrey, "They have to eat too sweetie." Hearing a man's voice she recognized, "Yeah. You seen those two? - Yeah, you can have them. - No I'll find something juicier for her." Hanging up, the old lady saw her daughter come at her. Wide-eyed and serious.

Audrey was a mix of emotions, "Why? When does it ever stop momma?"

Mildred patted her daughter on the cheek lovingly, "Oh honey. Why would you want it to stop? I did want to tell you before your honeymoon but I thought it best if you found out for yourself. It has to kind of happen naturally. I'm sure that first transformation was rough but they get easier. The priest was easy, wasn't he? And the two bikers?"

"Enough momma. I don't want to talk about it!"


	45. Momma's Girl: 2

Both hunters were outside the trailer looking at the car they had arrived in. Taking a long exhale, Trish said, "Anything about that seem off to you?"

Vergil looked at her with condescending eyes, "Besides the domineering mother, the smell of death, the frugal cleaned décor, the awkwardness when approached about the dead spouse - no nothing at all." His tone of voice staying even.

From across the way both of them noticed a grungy, long bearded man. It was the one that had been watching them earlier. He had stepped out of his trailer and began heading over to them. Then they noticed another. This time a middle-aged woman who stepped out of the cobweb infested trailer. The biker type pointed at them saying, "You two are hunters."

Vergil popped Yamato out of its sheath, "Yeah. So?"

The middle-aged woman said, "We don't take kindly to your types around here."

Bringing out Ombra and Luce, Trish asked, "Yeah and what are you, the neighborhood watch?" She was settling back into her old, facetious ways.

The two stopped. "You have no idea!"

Flesh ripped and bone stretched. The two trailer dwellers going through a horrible transformation as Trish aimed her guns with Vergil unleashing Yamato. Black, coarse hair spurting up all over them as several, insect-like legs busted from their sides. Their eyes turned dark red and split into several in their sockets as these thick, fanged mandibles exploded from their mouths. Both hunters looked on in horror at this horrendous transmogrification.

Standing before them, as the change was complete, were two, giant, drooling, hungry looking spiders. They stood just as tall as the two hunters and skittered slightly at them with their mandibles leaking this thick, white saliva. It bubbled from their mouths at the anticipation of their armed meals.

Trish looked on in grotesqueness at the two. She held up her guns and shot out bolts of lightning from them. The two spiders convulsed and shook at the bolts as they both turned over dead. Their legs folding up in rigor mortis. Smoke lifting off their dead bodies.

Calling Morrison, Vergil looked around the trailer park as more of these 'werespiders' started to come out of the other trailers. They were becoming surrounded. Morrison sleepily answered, "Yeah, what is it Vergil?"

"Quick question Morrison. Know anything about people turning into giant spiders?"

Trish zapped a few more as they approached. She figured she could handle most of them. Six of them exploded out of their human skins and skittered along after the lightning master. Trish had to jump back and chain lightning a few. Making three ooze out this light, copper colored blood and die lopsided. The others were hurt but continued the chase after the agile woman. Turning she pumped the three full of bullets tearing their black, big, eight-legged boding apart.

Morrison lazily got on his computer as Vergil skewered one through its mouth with his sword, cutting out of it and then chopping its two front legs off. He was still holding onto his phone as he cut off the large abdomen in the back. A river of the faint, copper colored blood pouring from the creature as it tried to crawl away.

Finally, Morrison said, "Well the only thing I can find is things called arachni. Half-human/half-spider creatures."

Trish shocked two more, killing them, as two more crawled over their corpses after her. Making her shake with disgust, "Oh god! Oh god! Get these ugly things away from me!"

Rolling his eyes, Vergil yelled at her, "Would you like a chair to stand on?!"

Morrison said, "Should be easy Vergil. There's no specifics on how to kill them. Fire preferably but I think blades and bullets will do too. They tend to cluster into packs though so look for the alpha female."

"What, like an ant colony?" Vergil asked, easily cutting ones head off and kicking it away as more came for him.

"Queens in ant colonies are born royalty. These arachni are like a wolf pack or a lion's pride. The queen has to earn her place by being the biggest, baddest, eight-legged brute on the block."

Vergil hung-up looking back at Mildred's trailer. Walking towards it he stabbed another giant spider not even looking at the ugly creature. He sliced off both front legs and sliced half of its body into split sections. Whipping his sword to clean it of blood, Vergil made his way to the front door kicking it in.

Trish zapped more large arachnids seeing Vergil kick in the door to the trailer. Most of the archani were backing off as Vergil inspected the trailer looking for Mildred. He found more than he bargained for. A large, hairy leg busted out of the roof of the trailer. So big, Vergil had to back out and look at it to get a good view of the large leg. It pounded the ground bending downward. Vergil spun his sword ready for the giant attached. Another leg as a giant, nearly forty foot tall spider busted out of the trailer hissing at the two.

Trish backed off making a twisted face of disgust. "Oh my!" She howled out. Then screamed, "We're going to need a huge can of bug-spray!"

Mildred looked down at the two as she towered above them. Spitting a green spray from her mouth that Vergil had to dodge. When looking back at where it had landed he knew right away it was highly corrosive. He just cocked his head, looking up at the giant spider, "Eh. I've seen bigger."

He charged at her and sliced into her leg with his sword. She stumbled to one side and spewed that green acid from her mandibles making this garbled groan. Vergil easily got out of the way of it.

Gaining her constitution back, Trish stood mightily in front of it saying, "Spiders creep me the hell out!" Thrusting both her hands forward with her guns she unleashed a bright webbing of bolts at Mildred. The branching bolts surrounded the giant and shocked her making the bug cook. Smoke plumed from the power and Mildred toppled downward, twitching slightly.

Relinquishing the cage of voltage, Trish put her hands on her knees and huffed a bit. Vergil spun his sword back into its sheath, asking Trish, "You alright?" Concerned but not sounding it.

Another huff and Trish stood with a large inhale holstering her guns, "I am now."

Looking at the dead, giant spider, Vergil couldn't help but say, "I thought it'd be a little more difficult than that."

Movement. Tearing Yamato back out, Vergil stood ready. Trish formed two electric orbs in her hands. A long, thin stream of well-aimed, green acid came from the spider's mandibles and sprayed Trish covering her in the stuff. Her skin burned and she went down to her knees screaming. The large monster stood back up slowly still hurt from the last attack.

Meanwhile, Vergil caringly tried to rid his partner of the green, burning goop. It was no use. There was too much and he himself started to burn because of it.

Looking back at the giant spider with hate in his eyes he roared out, charging the beast with his sword held back and a wanting desire to kill Mildred.

Spraying that green spray the giant spider chased Vergil down with it but didn't catch him. Vergil took four, expert slices as he ran at the back of her legs. Mildred nearly toppled over but stood firm and tall as that same light colored, copper blood spewed from the slashes. Running underneath her he jumped, running his sword down a quarter of her body spilling blood from the long gash. Mildred swayed loosing blood and fast. Then, without warning, toppled down sideways and gave a raspy screech as she did.

Vergil whipped away the blood off his blade and walked slowly over to Mildred's front. With his sword out and a jeer in his eyes that was full of death. Standing in front of her, she tried to launch more of that green acid but all it did was falter at her mandibles. Not even having enough strength to do that anymore. Raising his sword above his head he was ready to plunge it deep into her cranium but a soft, female voice yelled out, "Stop!"

He did as he looked where the voice had come from. It was Audrey. She was standing sheepishly a few feet away. She walked over and looked at her dying mother. Mildred, with a sad, dying tone commanded Audrey. "Kill him my dear! Kill him now!"

Audrey weakly fell to her knees and petted the large spider on the head, "No momma. There's been enough death. They stopped you and all of them from hurting anyone else. That's what I'm going to do momma."

Suddenly, Audrey sprouted these spider like mandibles and drove her large fangs deep into Mildred's neck. The giant spider cried out as Audrey tore and ate.

Sheathing Yamato, Vergil stood back watching the last sparks of life drain from Mildred's large, spider body. Trish came over finally being rid of that green, burning stuff and gasped in horror at what she saw. By that time, Mildred was dead and Audrey was back to normal. She stood picking at her wedding dress with a depressed look on her face. She turned to face them and they got ready for anything. She walked towards them patting her stomach. "I wasn't sure I could do that. It seems like I can feed off of them."

Relaxing, Trish asked, "What do you mean?"

"Kill my own kind. Most out there are monstrous like my momma. She didn't tell me what would happen on my wedding night. She thought I should learn for myself so I ate my husband. The only man I ever loved."

Vergil then asked, "What about the priest and the two bikers?"

"Them as well. Momma encouraged it."

With lightning flowing through her fingers, "And the children?!"

"No. Never! The two girls were my best friends and I would never hurt a child. They were taken by the others."

"So what now?" Trish asked, still on her guard but easing down a bit.

Audrey shrugged, "I have to make a new life. I have to feed. I'll feed off of others like me. They might make for a better meal."

"So wait -" Trish said, "You're willing to kill your own kind to save human life?"

"Of course. I have to eat something living but maybe I can just feed off animals too. That might be even easier. I know I can do it. If I'm given a chance. I will raise my baby in a better environment than what she raised me in." Referring to her mother.

"You know if you're lying, will come looking for you."

"I'm not. I want to live."

"I sure hope so." Trish said walking away but stopped. She turned back and saw Vergil still standing there, looking at Audrey. Trish nearly yelled out, "Vergil you coming or what?!"

Standing there with an emotionless face, Vergil still had his sword out. Audrey looked at him pleadingly, "Please. Let me try and make a better life. Let me try."

"Everyone deserves a second chance Vergil." Trish said. "You of all people should know that."

Vergil gave Trish a glance over his shoulder, "I do. Too well." He spun Yamato and drove it deep into Audrey's chest. Trish screamed out, "No!" By then it was too late. Audrey was coughing up that copper blood and sunk down to her knees as Vergil plunged his blade deeper into her chest making her gasp out and fall over dead. He then ripped his sword from her body and cleaned it. He sheathed the weapon and looked at Trish who ran over kneeling beside Audrey. She was already dead.

Standing, infuriated at Vergil, Trish yelled in his face, "What was that for?! She deserved to make a better life for herself and her child!"

Monotone and stern, Vergil retaliated, "You want to take that chance?! Lets say that she did try. How long would she have held out? How long before somebody was murdered again? How long could she have really lasted? Then she had a baby on the way. She might have been able to last but what about the baby? What if it grew up and became a murder? Even though she had taught it right, it still might have become a monster! Were you willing to take that chance?"

Looking back at Audrey as she lied on the ground dead, Trish refocused back on Vergil, saying with confidence, "Yes!" She pushed past Vergil with a snarl walking back to the car.

"I wasn't." Vergil said looking at Trish over his shoulder, tightening his grip on Yamato.

Turning back with a fling of her blonde hair and a menacing stair, Trish hurtfully asked, "What if Dante hadn't taken a second chance on you?"

Vergil was silent for a moment. His blue coat swaying slightly by the hot breeze. Then he said, "I didn't ask him to. Besides, what worked on me might have not worked on her."

"Yeah!" Trish growled out, "Might and what if. It's all I've heard! I guess will never really know now, will we?" She stomped back to the car and entered the passenger seat with a slam of the door trying not to break it off.

Vergil heard it from where he was standing and looking back at Audrey. Trish was far away in the car as Vergil bent to one knee and whispered to Audrey. "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be." A calm, cocky voice said. Full of confidence and a slight tone of sympathy.

Vergil stood fast knowing who it was. "Noamuth!"

"Right here." Noamuth said. He was still in his business suit with his dress coat. He looked out to the horizon. "You know, this place wasn't easy to find."

"What do you want?" Vergil asked demandingly.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done."

"As Nero would say, 'bullshit!'" Vergil flicking his tongue, the word sounding unnatural to him.

Noamuth laughed a bit, "You shouldn't resort to curses Vergil. It's beneath you."

"What do you really want?"

Noamuth still wasn't looking at Vergil as he looked out to the horizon, "Found the train yet?"

"Morrison's working on it and…"

"Morrison?!" Noamuth asked, turning around to look at Vergil slightly surprised.

"Yes."

"Shouldn't you be tracking it?"

"Well, if I was, we probably would have found it by now. Morrison's good at what he does though."

"Tracking a train - that doesn't travel on the rails - and he's still at a loss for a position? Doesn't sound too good if you ask me."

"A lot of things could be factors. Besides that, I have jobs that still need done."

Immediately Noamuth said in his face, "Your mission is the train! Your mission is to stop Balscoth from obtaining that boy. Your mission is Mundus! Remember?"

With a stern look, Vergil said calmly, "I do. You remember who you're speaking to." Yamato being thumbed out slightly.

Noamuth held up his hands with a devilish smile and casually backed off, "Okay, okay." He started to walk away from Vergil when he said still walking, "By the way, I wasn't 'bullshiting' you about a job well done." Noamuth's hands in his pockets. "Killing her means you're getting ready to kill the boy. Too many 'what if's' to let him live." He then disappeared into the sun.

Heading back to the car, Vergil had a long face and slowly got into the driver seat. Slowly he closed the door and started the car.

Trish looked at him sideways, telling him, "I hope that's guilt I see on your face."

Pulling away from the trailer park, Vergil answered back, "No. Its worry."

"About what?"

"We've got to find that train."


	46. That's Not A Pentagram!

Pulling up to the curb of a clean road next to a clean, well-kept sidewalk, Lady dismounted her black bike and tugged on the strap of Kalina Ann. She really needed a new strap. Surveying the nice serenity of the suburban area she called Morrison.

It was late night and very dark so he was probably wide awake on his nineteenth cup of coffee. Sure enough he answered wide awake, "Lady! What have you got for me?!"

"A little jittery Morrison?" Lady asked solemnly.

Typing away, studying, "You know, usually, sometimes, on occasion, I have about nineteen cups of coffee but I had two cups of this Tri-Java Cappuccino, Explosive Coffee flavored stuff. I think, perhaps, maybe, with earnest, I will switch to that!"

Again, with her calm, yet caring demeanor, Lady asked, "Vergil's keeping you up looking for the train, isn't he?"

"They both are Lady." Calming down a bit from his caffeine, sugar high. "You would think I could find a train that seems to be traveling off its track. You would think somebody would report that. You know what I think Lady?"

Smiling, wearing her sunglasses at night, Lady asked pleasantly, "What's that Morrison?"

"I think when we find it, we won't find the boy. I think the train is hiding and the boy and his demon got off somewhere."

"Morrison, I think you should get some rest."

"Nope. Can't! Got to keep searching for Dante. You know, he never pays me anything Lady. I'm just a financial advisor and a good friend who tries to keep Devil May Cry going. You know how much we owe to a lot of people? You know what Dante spends most of the money on?"

"Pizzas."

"Pizzas! How much can that guy eat in pizzas?! Ordering damn near eight of them a day gets a little expensive! Not to mention what he spends on strawberry sundaes. That money could go towards the numerous debts he owes or how about that prison that Trish blew up or that town that disappeared or that entire…"

"I got it Morrison. Believe me, he owes me money too."

"That's just it Lady! He owes everyone money! Kyrie and Nero are out on their asses! Trish keeps wanting to buy dresses and fashion deals and all kinds of stuff. The only ones who aren't really giving me problems about paychecks is you and Vergil. I may not like the guy but at least he's not bugging me for a paycheck every five seconds!"

Lady knew by the way he was going on and the slight slur to his words, "You've had more than high-end coffee to drink, haven't you?"

Looking at the 3-quarters gone bottle of dark brown liquor, Morrison said with a slight distain to his voice, "So. I have more pain to forget than just worrying about where money comes from for the agency."

Removing her sunglasses, Lady said concerned. "I know Morrison. You don't drink though unless you're really worried about something."

Having a rough time talking about it, Morrison took another shot of his Java, "I'm worried about a lot of things Lady. The one at the forefront right now is the underworld itself."

"What do you mean?" Lady asked, nervous about her friend and the implications.

"Think about it Lady! Even if we do stop Balscoth, who's next?"

"Mundus, Argosax, take your pick."

"Exactly! And after them? The book said that Balscoth was stronger than Mundus and there were ten others. Just in that one book. The two others seem to have thirty or so more a piece! I'll bet there's demon lords down there that make Mundus and Balscoth look like guppies compared to great whites!"

Lady was slightly worried about that. "Will handle it like we always have Morrison."

Another shot of coffee empting the cup, "Dante nor Vergil nor Nero - none of you have taken on anything more powerful than Mundus! None of you! Sure, Dante and Nero, and Vergil are all thrilled about it but that's just them being - them. Sooner or later, they're going to run across something that those swords and guns won't handle. Then what?"

"We'll deal with it as they come. It's kind of what we do Morrison. Now would you please tell me what I'm doing here?"

Letting out a long sigh as his caffeine fix was drawing to a close and sleep was beginning to overtake him. "Right! Apparently there's an occult shop that opened up in town. I need you to check it out. So far the only patron has been a seventeen year old boy but I think its worth a look."

"Why?"

"You remember when Trish and Dante stopped that Coaxan mask on Halloween?"

"Yeah?"

"I think the store that the boy bought the mask from and this store are the same."

"Alright I'll check out the store."

"No Lady! Check the boy first. I'm sending his bio. He's impressionable. Name's Terrance, Terry for short. Lost his mother at eight, got into dark worship around the same time; scaring his friend out of town, and now his dad has been grounded from being a pilot because of his drinking habits."

"Anything else?" Lady asked.

"I'm going to keep searching for that train."

Lady nodded her head and walked towards the boy's address hanging up. She didn't have to go too far seeing inside the house a middle-aged man passed out on a recliner with a young teen man standing in front of him. He threw out an empty long neck bottle and walked outside. Lady hid away from sight and watched the boy. He had a brown, bowel haircut with thick, circle-rimmed glasses. A slight over bite with green eyes. He was scrawny and looked like a typical nerd. She was slightly saddened by that fact. He got on his bicycle with a few printer papers in-hand. He rode off through the grass cutting through his neighbor's yards. Very easy to track as Lady just followed the tire tracks on her bike staying on the streets on to draw attention.

She tracked him to an old factory. Small and rundown. He rode over a few puddles and Lady stayed right with him. Thinking she was on his trail, she found his bike parked near the factory. No sign of him or the papers he had been carrying. Looking around she went inside parking her bike right next to his.

Inside, she scanned the interior with her handgun ready. She then heard the familiar sound of an amp. The boy's voice came through loud and clear, "Testing 1 -2 -3?" The microphone made a buzzing noise but worked well.

Sneaking through the factory, Lady was thrown off by the amp a little bit. She rounded some pillars hearing him moving. Cautiously, knowing he was close, she approached staying out of sight. She reached a doorway and peeked inside seeing the boy. He was dressed in a long, dark blue robe. He was scattering a powdered substance around a chalk drawing of a large pentagram. At each point of the star were a few items. The one was a cage housing a living gerbil the other also gaining Lady's interest knowing her occult rituals. This was a summoning spell. A powerful one.

Terry stood in front of a table and got on his knees. In front of him was a bowel of herbs. Lady could now smell garlic knowing that was the white powder he had spread over the floor. She smirked to herself folding her arms, leaning against the doorframe, waiting to see the results.

With his hands up, Terry grabbed his microphone, "Terror and vigilance of this mortal world which was ruled by you. The old gods."

Lady was interested as to where he had learned all this. He was doing it right - sort of. She could spy five things right off that were wrong.

Terry, in his slight squeaky voice spoke again to the ceiling, "Possessors of all knowledge and power universally known, come to me and be under my command."

Lady tried hard not to chuckle out a bit.

Terry got up and took the gerbil from the cage. He held up a kitchen knife and held it to the small rodent's throat. "I call forth the names of those who which names are unspoken of. Balyiel, Gradmorth, and Helixcon. Come into this plain I heed thee and take possession of what I command." Holding up the knife, looking at the gerbil, reaching the final incantation. "Tartidieum ablaxtoolik inhidium suffultacry!" The knife shaking in his hand not wanting to kill the small animal.

Lady unfolded her arms with that slight smile still on her face, "Suffulacy."

Terry turned around with fear and surprise. Lady could see even more terror in him recognizing she was a woman of wonderful stature and a gun in her hand. She couldn't imagine his level of confusion.

"The T and R are silent." She said, walking into the room. She walked right past him as he swallowed embarrassingly as she swayed over to his chalk drawing of a pentagram on the floor. She knelt down looking at it. "Ignoring the painfully obvious, your pentagram's top is not in alignment with Betelgeuse. Its actually off by about five degrees or more."

Putting down the gerbil and retrieving the papers from his cloak, Terry looked at them, furiously flipping through them madly, "I can't believe this! How could I have gotten that wrong?!"

Lady saw what she wanted. The papers. Standing up, she asked, "And did it tell you to use chalk?"

Looking at a few of the papers, "Well, actually it said candlewax from an onyx candle but I couldn't…"

"Black candles are not that hard to find made out of melted, molded ash. And is that garlic that you sprinkled everywhere?"

Flipping two more pages, "Well, I couldn't find 'powdered texler root'."

Smiling again taking another step towards Terry, "That's because they only sell it in Scotland. Its said to have been used by ancient druids in summoning spells." She took another step and grabbed the pages from him.

Terry protested weakly, "Hey those are mine."

She looked through them seeing the incantation and all of it written in sublime detail. Even the instruction were there in plain English. Looking through them, Lady looked up from them knowing Terry was behind her. "Don't."

Terry was holding the kitchen knife above his head and was shaking, wondering if he could do it. After she spoke he lowered the knife saying, "You couldn't possibly imagine what my life is like?" His voice full of repressed sadness.

Flipping through the pages, Lady turned around still focused on them, "I don't have to because whatever you've been through, I've been through a hell of a lot worse."

"Yeah right! Pretty girl like you?! Probably was a cheerleader or something!" Terry said rubbing his wrist with nervousness.

Looking up from the pages having seen the ritual in its purity; plus another for three more demon lords, Lady said, "No," With a laugh, "That would be the other girl I work with. Which I also respect because she gave-up power for love. I had nothing to give up and I don't have to explain anything to you - but I will."

Lady compiled the papers and saw an old desk in the corner of the room. She walked towards it and sat down putting the papers by her side. She patted the bare space next to her commanding, "Sit down."

Terry folded up shyly looking down at the floor.

Lady snarled a bit, "Sit!"

He hurried over taking baby steps and sat awkwardly next to her.

"Now," Lady said with a long breath, "Where to start?" Looking away from Terry, trying to find a good place to begin, "I think with birth would be good. You see, my father was a very determined man. He put a hex on my birth to make me a lot like him. My physical prowess, my heterochromia," Lady looked at Terry making sure he got a good look at her different colored eyes. "My skills and learning ability, all that was from him. My mother though. She taught me how to use all of it. I learned things way faster and better than most. Being gypsies we traveled all over and I always had my nose buried in a book. From the occult, demonology, and self-defense combat training, to crocheting and billiards. I studied everything I could find right up until I was fourteen. That was when Arkham came back in my life. My father. He killed - my mother so I went after him. Killing every demon and every evil thing I could find until I finally got my hands on him."

Terry looked at her with child-like sympathy, "You killed your dad?!"

"Yeah. Because he killed my mother. After that, I went on my separate way offering my services to anyone willing to pay. Me and another 'colleague' of mine kept crossing paths. Instead of forcing him out of my life I decided to join him. Been with him ever since." She stopped there looking at Terry who was just shocked at all he had just heard. "So you see, the next time you think you have it bad, there's somebody out there who has it worse. And they don't go calling on demons for help."

"They should. They're the only ones who seem to get stuff done."

Lady shook her head, "Yeah. Evil stuff. They'll give you what you want but it comes at a high price. A very high price."

"Yeah I know, my soul right? Well, I don't care I'm willing to pay." Terry said confidently.

Again, Lady just shook her head. "You think its so simple? Just give away your eternal soul to the underworld and that's it?"

"Yeah." Terry said. "Whatever tortures they got lined up, it can't be any worse than what I'm going through now."

"You have yet to experience what tortures this life can bring let along what the next one has. Did you just not pay any attention to anything I just said? You think you're the only one they'll torture as well?"

This caught Terry's attention. "What do you mean? All they have is my soul, they can't hurt anyone else."

With a furious sneer, Lady picked up the pages harshly and yelled at Terry, "They tell you how to bring them in, and maybe give you a line about controlling them but it doesn't tell you what they'll _actually_ do, does it?!"

Terry looked away.

"No, I didn't think so!" Lady yelled, slamming the papers back down. "Take it from somebody who knows. When demons are summoned, no matter how strong or weak they are, their primary goal is to see you and all those around you suffer. Doesn't matter to them who it is! Your family, your friends, your mechanic, your grocery store clerk, your lawyer, your 2nd grade teacher who rapped your knuckles ten years ago! Demons are all about the end of humanity. No matter how you 'control' them, or region of the underworld you summon them from, or what their name or function is - its all the same! They bring about pain and torment and death!"

Looking at her sadly, Terry said with a shrill, "All I wanted was my father to be okay."

"Then talk to him or do something. But don't do this!" Lady argued back, motioning to the pentagram and the items around it.

"Its all I know." Terry said weakly and sadly.

"Smart kid like you, I highly doubt it. Get some damn confidence in yourself and figure another, better way. Because these demons that you read off, I've never heard of them. And if I've never heard of them, I know you haven't. Which makes them some powerful players. They'd see a self-loathing teen like you and have a field day."

With a look of regret, Terry asked, "What can I do?"

"Do something else." Lady said hopping off the table with the papers in-hand. "Do something that won't damn you and others around you."

"I've already tried prayer." Terry said hatefully.

"I didn't say prayer. I said intervention. Talk to him. Tell him how you feel. Do something that you think might work. I'm not saying it'll be easy, I'm not saying you'll succeed, but at least you can know you did try something. Something that didn't doom a bunch of people."

Terry jumped off the table as well, pulling the robe off saying, "It wouldn't have, just me."

Lady shook her head, "You don't know demons. I do. I've hunted them, killed them, chased them back to the pit."

Having the robe off, Terry rolled his eyes with a weak, "Yeah right."

Stomping up to him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Lady shouted in his face, "Look at my weapons you idiot! Look into my eyes! Now you tell me, am I lying to you?!"

Swallowing, looking deep into Lady's two-colored eyes, Terry squeaked out, "I - I guess not!"

"Good." Lady let go of him. "Tell me where you got these pages."

"The new occult store that opened up. I didn't think they'd have anything real…"

"Most of them never do."

"But this guy -" Terry paused with cautious fright. "He - he came up to me. Said his name was Professor Keeper. He showed me the pages. Said I couldn't take the real ones but he gave me good duplicates."

Lady had to inquire, "This professor, did he tell you where the actual pages came from?"

Struggling to remember Terry answered uncertain, "A book. A bible. A very old bible. Older than the Christian bible."

Closing her eyes with regret now certain what book it was, "Oh shit."

"Huh?"

With bright, angry eyes, Lady grabbed Terry by the collar again, "This store, you're taking me to it! Right now!"

"Alright lady, calm down!"

The two walked out of the factory with Terry getting back on his bike and Lady following on her motorcycle. With her following, Terry kept on looking back at her large, custom rocket launcher. He didn't want to think about if it was loaded or not. His bike riding through the late night mist, turning on a few streets, heading through the suburbs into the main thoroughfare of town. He took a few more turns into a small shopping center. Stopping his bike right in front of the occult store.

Except it wasn't there. A 'for lease' sign was posted and it looked like an actual shop hadn't been in the building for years. Terry go off his bike with a long sigh, "No!"

In a few seconds, Lady saw the empty section of building and looked at the pages with hate. "Just like with Dante and Trish. Gone."

Slamming his fist on the locked door, Terry turned to face Lady, "It was right here! Big, bold letters: Barker's Boutique of the Occult!"

Turning with the pages, "Don't worry, I believe you."

Terry shrugged, "So now what?"

Lady turned pointing at him, "You are going to go home and talk to your father in the morning."

"What about you?"

Lady turned getting back on her bike. She put on her sunglasses, telling the kid over her shoulder, "I got some heavy reading to do."


	47. Sudden Death: 1

The football stadium was quiet. Dante walked the narrow, long, empty hallways. His black boots making that familiar sound to him as they hit the floor reminding him that it was just an unused stadium. The echo getting very distracting. He passed by some old payphones and he was at the end of the row when one began to ring.

He slowly turned his head letting it ring at least eight times before picking up the receiver. "Hello?"

Morrison's voice came over the receiver, "So? Anything?"

"Yeah, my stomach's growling."

"Your stomach's always growling. Eat when you finish the job."

"Job finished, nothing here."

"Dante! Four college teams of football players have disappeared in that stadium in the last month. No trace of anybody even being there. No buses, no parties, it's like they weren't even there!"

"Maybe they weren't."

"I'm better than that and you know it. Four teams of college kids, their coaches, and large buses, along with the drivers all go missing without even a beer can to say otherwise, you don't think that's strange?"

"All it tells me is that they came here, checked this place out, and bailed. What football team is going to want to party in a busted up, old football stadium? Not really a 'turn-on' for cheerleaders if you ask me."

"They weren't there to party, they were there to learn."

"All the more reason I say they bailed."

"Have you checked out everywhere?"

"Yes." Dante hesitantly said, "Mostly."

"Dante, you haven't been down to the field yet, have you?"

Dante got quiet. He stretched his fingers on the receiver.

"Get down to the field and check every corner inch!"

"Morrison, before you or I hang-up mad at the other, answer me something."

"What?"

"How did you call this phone? There's no phone service here."

Dante heard the other line go dead and he pounded the receiver down on the old payphone breaking the whole box off the wall.

With an irritated groan, Dante walked away from the destroyed phone station and went to one of the entrances to the field. He walked down the steps to the field and jumped right onto the grass from the guarding rail. It was a long drop down but thirty or fifty feet was nothing to him. It effected him about as much as a three year old stepping off of a low step.

Landing with boot imprints in the field he walked out into the middle of the field. It was an open-roof stadium and all the starlight from the night shinned through which wasn't that much. The stadium lights hadn't worked in decades and the stadium itself was scheduled for demolition. The darkness covered the ground like a black blob. Dante stood on the grass of the stadium and looked around for some kind of presence. Nothing!

He walked to the opposing team's goal and looked at it. He shrugged his shoulders and said to himself, "Oh yeah, fun job he said. Good for the frat boy in you he said. Revisit some old childhood memories. Yeah. Never even played this stupid game!" Kicking up some of the grass with his boot.

Suddenly, the stadium lights kicked on and lit up the whole stadium. Dante cringed at the lights and went for his sword. Pulling Rebellion he was ready for anything or so he thought.

A large platform jolted out of the side of the stadium with a small, impish-like demon walking out on it. Long ears wavered on the side of its head. Its arms longer than its legs taking baby steps on the platform. Those long arms folded behind its back. A mark of Argosax along it left arm like a military unit tattoo.

The platform was a hollow red, looking like one of the red skull barricades that Dante had run into years ago. The entire open sky stadium became covered in a red skull shield. Dante watching it cover the dome like a transparent roof. The imp looked down at Dante with a wide, toothy grin. Fire flaming-up in its eyes, yelling out, "Welcome son of Sparda to the arena!" Spreading out its arms as thousands of demons began to fill the bleachers of the football stadium fading into the seats. All of them growling and howling for Dante's blood to be spilled.

He looked around over both his shoulders spanning the circular arena. Looking back up at the imp with Rebellion firmly in his grasp, Dante focused in on the Argosax's symbol burnt into the side of the imp's arm. He pointed up at him, "Hey! Nice tat. I take it your boss wants me gone?"

The minion looked back down at Dante from on high and yelled downward with black horns growing out of his temples and those fiery orbs in his sockets, "Yes Dante - I do!" The imps voice quickly went from a hissing snarl to a deep growl. One that sound like Argosax's voice. In fact, it was Argosax's voice.

Dante shook his head with a slight smirk, "Argosax - you're a lot shorter than I remember. And smellier. I thought demon lord's couldn't come into this world without being summoned?"

The imp possessed by his demon master pointed down at Dante with its long, silver index claw, saying in Argosax's voice, "You be silent. I still have a show to run!" Turning his attention from Dante to the panoramic building with his arms outstretched and that deep voice belting out of his mouth, "My audience - tonight I bring you something truly unique. For too long I have promised you a show worth your damnable souls. Tonight - I give you the son of Sparda, Dante!"

A loud, echo of boos came from the crowd of demons as the imp smiled devilishly at the demon slayer. He went back to his crowd, "Tonight, he will face three challenges of my choosing."

"Hey!" Dante yelled up.

Argosax, in his imp body asked, "What?!"

"Don't I get a say in this?!"

"NO!" The entire stadium roared out, making Dante wave his hand at all of them, "Eh, I liked it better when you just grunted all the time." Remembering back to the first time him and Argosax had fought.

Argosax went on, "The first will be the trial of the snake. Next is the trial of strength. Then the final trial - hmmm - well nobody makes it to the last trial anyway."

A loud, uproarious applause came from the crowd as Dante nodded his head, pointing up at Argosax, "Hey! Why don't you give your 'fans' what they really want to see."

"And what is that Dante?" Argosax asked curiously.

Spreading his arms with Rebellion in-hand, Dante shouted fiendishly, "You and me."

The imp that Argosax had possessed smiled, "I would love to have my revenge but it wouldn't be a great show as I'm not at full strength."

"Yeah, because you were so powerful last time." Dante said sarcastically. "With your hard-hitting, powerhouse moves."

Snarling with rage, Argosax roared out, "You didn't fully beat me last time! I was still under a bit of influence from Arias."

Looking at Rebellion nonchalantly, spinning it casually, "Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Argosax snarled but tried to keep a showman attitude, "Demons - we've had our share of boring deaths, haven't we?!"

A roar came from the crowd.

"Lets see if the son of Hell's most famous traitor can compete against - The Snake?!"

From the opposite side of the field came a slithering sound. Blasting through the entryway came a naga. Nearly twice as big as the one Nero had faced. It had purple scales as it poised to strike. Flinging out its hood with the symbol of Argosax emblazoned on it. Presenting it proudly like a champion prize-fighter displays his belt. A hiss came from its wide maw with its fangs dripping this bright green liquid. Its eyes a bright blue as it retracted its head and hood with another hiss launching with fangs bared. Dante grinned wickedly. He was ready.

Jumping with sword in hand he flew into the air with the snake sliding right under him as he twisted with his sword downwards but was knocked aside by the purple naga's tail with retractable blades in it. Flying off into a wall, slamming into a cement barricade, Dante landed feet first in the ruble. He strode out with Rebellion in hand and an evil jeer at the snake.

The naga whipped around with another hiss, retracting its head back, baring its fangs, ready for another attack. Its head recoiled, its tail in front swaying with the four V-blades on it. Jolting for Dante with the demon slayer dodging and slicing for the side of the head making the beast derail and slam into the same wall Dante had flown into. Dante backed off with a skip to his step.

The naga convulsed in the pile but snapped its attention and focus back on Dante being out of the debris and back on the attack. It sliced at Dante with its tail as Dante handled his sword skillfully blocking every blow. It spit that neon green liquid at Dante with him dodging it and the liquid burning the ground. A long stream followed Dante like a laser as he ran from it, stopping, ducking under it, and then tossing Rebellion right at the naga. The sword spun trough the air and stabbed the naga right in the throat with a gurgled hiss coming from it as black blood sprayed from the wound. Dante ran for his sword and grabbed the hilt ripping the sword from the naga and then slashing at it. The big snake took off like a speeding train and only caught a small gash from the sword's edge.

It curled up in a corner in a striking posture as it hissed at Dante the wound healing up on its throat. Closing back up with the snake glairing at the devil wrecker as it began to whisper some words under it breath.

Dante in his cocky tone asked, "Care to share?"

A bright, purple portal appeared right next to the snake's head no bigger than its hooded skull. Thrusting its head through, another purple portal formed right next to Dante. Looking at it with wide eyes he dodged just before the snake's head popped out, biting and hissing at him. The naga went back through the portal and then another appeared as Dante readied his sword. The head popped out and Dante took a slice with it sliding back through. Again another portal as Dante began to charge right for the naga's body. Its head was poking out of another portal watching Dante head right for it. It slipped back through pulling its head away from the portal looking at Dante charging now whole again. It fired its acid but Dante just dodged it jumping right at the naga with his sword held back and a snarl coming from him. He sliced down hard hoping to get the snake but the naga evaded the blow and Dante flew right into another cement barrier. The naga slipped away to another side of the field and got into an attacking posture. The same it had before.

Vigorously walking out of the rubble, Dante approached, sword sheathed, guns at the ready. Lifting his guns, Dante fired a wall of lead right at the naga as some bullets hit. The big beast was too fast though as it slipped away coming around Dante for another attack. Dante was quicker than the demon, pulling his sword, slashing at the monster, making it go off course again and then tearing out his guns trying to finish the job.

With a firing fury unleashed, the red-coated slayer sent round-after-round into the naga as it wailed to the sky falling backwards in a mangled, blood soaked mess. It twitched with Dante spinning both guns back under his coat with a smirk. Turning towards Argosax with a frill of his coattails, "Dante - 1. Demon lord - zip!"

Folding his hand into a fist, Argosax growled as his demon audience booed Dante with some throwing waded-up pieces of paper. A snarl stretching over the possessed imp creature's face as it began to wave down the audience's disapproval. "Yes, we're all upset. But - he's still got two more trials to go through. It not over yet fight fans." Looking at Dante with his teeth showing and an ominous sound to his voce, "We've only just begun."


	48. Sudden Death: 2

With a spin of his sword and a quick step, Dante said with a confident smile, "I'm waiting."

Argosax clenched both of his fists. "I can assure you, you won't be for much longer. I want you just as dead as the rest of these demons - if not more so." His voice dark and his power flashing but restrained. A flick of his claws towards the entrance the naga had used saying, "The trial of strength. No mortal has yet to succeed."

A loud noise came inside the stadium as a jumbled mess of shadows proceeded towards Dante as he stood ready. Rebellion over his shoulder and a gleam in his eye. Watching the approaching black blob form into several different shapes. Multiple demons. Dante arched his head with a grin of wicked intentions.

The first he saw was a green, hulking demon in bronzed armor. It smashed its two fist together creating a lighting effect coming from his fists. The one next to him was what appeared to be a smaller version of Argosax's true form. Only with a pure red body and silver eyes. It took several different shapes moving like controlled water. Forming into sharp instruments and then back into a humanoid form like liquid metal. Able to form and reform into any shape it desired. On the other side of the green, bronze-armored, hulk demon was a nimble vixen with blades all over her body and a triangular head filled with teeth that opened like a Venus Flytrap. Black scales donned her entire body like a tight suite of onyx. Replicants of her stepped out from behind her as many as eight or more, then stepped back behind her disappearing, reforming into her. The last was another woman. She was older with grayish skin. White, mangy hair. Small, yet sharp teeth lined her mouth looking the most human out of the four. She lifted her left arm with a hook at the end that shot out on a chain. With rotating blades on both her wrists. She stood ready to tear the demon slayer apart.

Stabbing the ground, driving Rebellion a quarter the way into the field with a wide grin on his face, Dante spun both his guns out and aimed them right at the four. His sword sticking out of the ground like a pillar of resolution. A twitch of his brow and that same wicked grin, Dante jovially said, "You heard the man, Showtime!"

The four charged Dante as he charged at them firing like a mad gunman. The big, green demon just reflected the bullets off his armor while the red, liquid demon was hurt by them but it would take a lot more than bullets to stop him. The two women-ish monsters didn't have to do much to evade Dante's bullets as the red-coated hunter ran up the wall still having his guns locked on the four. The gray lady let out her hook as Dante jumped missing it while the hulking demon charged at him like a freight train. Moving fast, Dante spun out of the way and let the armored, green behemoth smash into the cement. Dante then found himself surround by eight or so of the black-scaled, humanoids with all their mouths opening up, launching these long tongues at him. Dante ducked holding Ebony & Ivory close as the long, appendages wrapped around each other. He said to himself amidst the chaos, "I like it when girls makeout with themselves but this is ridiculous!"

Spinning low he cut the eight clones down with his guns standing up only having to evade the hook slashing by his face as he yelled out, "Whoa!" The hook came back as the grey lady marched up to him with a kick to his leg taking him down and then a punch from her normal hand. Dante was a master at hand-to-hand too. He kicked her legs out from under her and was standing over top of her with both guns in her face. Nearly shooting he had to duck an incoming blade from the red humanoid with two of the black-scaled ladies grabbing hold of him to restrain him for another shot.

Making sure he didn't get it, Dante kicked away the red, semi-man and spun out of the clutches of the replicants. Turning with grace he aimed his guns and shot both of them to pieces. Each gun launching a torrent of bullets blasting both of them to the ground.

Sliding on the ground, missing a rage swing from the bronze fists, he ran for his sword and grabbed it. No sooner did Dante have Rebellion's hilt in-hand, he had to slice away a red, curved blade like a giant scythe. The red man was on him slashing like wild as Dante blocked everything with his sword. All moves creative and deadly with his curved arm blades hacking at their prey while his legs changed shape with every other kick. From straight edge blades to corkscrew drills.

The hook came at Dante as he battled with the red man. Dante shooting away the hook with Ebony barely breaking focus from the maneuvering he was doing with the red man. All of his ligaments were bladed, launching at Dante with everything he had. Even his head had become a large blade. Jumping over him, Dante kicked out like a mule knocking the red man on the ground landing on his chest. With Rebellion back in its sheath and both guns out, Dante landed on the red man's back. He kicked out riding the man like a spinning skateboard as he yelled out, shooting as he spun, "Whoo-hoo!" The other three fell to Dante's bullet storm as he spun to the other end of the stadium, hopping off the red man, kicking him away with a large smile. He rolled his shoulders as he saw the other three getting back up with the red man barely able to stand. Back on his feet he shook with anger at Dante.

Standing ready, Dante snapped his guns up in preparation. The iron sights locked on their targets. Dante's focus undeterred. He had to start using moves he hadn't used in years.

The hulking, bronze demon folded up its fists and was the first one to attack with its knuckles zapping with power and a growl at the seemingly small devil hunter. At nearly eight feet tall, looking even bigger with its bulging muscles, it slammed its fist for Dante with the son of Sparda jumping back, taking a slice at the behemoth. Only the point nicked its green skin as it roared out looking back with an angry jeer.

Running at Dante, ten of the bladed, black demons rushed to end his existence. Dante looked back at the big, green hulk and spun his sword in a flashy manor egging on the giant. It snarled and raised back its fist. Dante slipped past him as it slammed the ground sending out a large shockwave knocking all ten of the replicants to the ground obliterating two of them under its fist. It looked at the black goo on its knuckles and looked around for Dante who was in the lower bleachers with a few demons looking at him shocked. He had a bag of popcorn and looked at one of the flabbergasted, audience demons with a mouthful of chewed popcorn, "Great show, huh?" Seeing the four demons below all enraged with him, even Argosax giving him an infuriated look, Dante spit out the popcorn and slammed the bag against one of the demons, telling it, "I hate this stuff anyway."

He jumped from the seats landing with perfect finesse and Rebellion tight in his grip. Ready for more.

The red man raced up to him and caught his throat with a curved, arm blade. Dante aimed right for his head but the giant punched him sending a wave of charged power through him. Nearly twelve of the black-scaled demons all pounced on him, biting and clawing him. The four had Dante cornered and were tearing him apart. Dante dropped Rebellion as the surges of power punches went through him from the giant and the onyx demons tore into him. Demon/human blood splashed on the ground as Dante was gobbled up in the four ganging-up on him, taking him down. A pool of Dante's blood spilling forth from underneath the demons' feet.

The crowd cheering as Argosax looked on with a pleasurable smile. "Demons and hags, the son of Sparda is…"

The four demon combatants were blasted away by a blinding, red light. There Dante stood in his DT form. Breathing heavily and surging with red lightning. Flexing his black claws on his red-scaled hands. Long, white horns on his head and his reptilian eyes focused on the four with his wings stretching out. Folding up his fists, he picked up his sword slowly and growled at the four. His sharp, shark-like teeth shown in all their flesh-ravaging glory.

Argosax looked at the four. "What are you waiting for?! Take him down!"

Stomping forth, the green, hulking demon roared out and stomped over to Dante and punched him but Dante grabbed the large fist and hissed at the big demon. Pulling back his fist, Dante punched him back sending the large beast flying through the air, careening down the field, leaving a long, brown trail of destruction. Ripping up the grass as he crashed into the cement barrier.

Watching with wide eyes, the three tracked the big monster punched away like he weighed no more than a feather. They looked back at Dante forming his arm into a black, obsidian looking blade, hissing out with a thick, hellish voice, "Next."

Taking a step with determination, the gray woman ran at Dante with a brave howl and launched her chained hook. Dante snarled and easily grabbed it, tilting his head as if to let a butterfly flutter by. The chain was in his grip and she tried to retract it but he pulled her close with a strong tug. She fell face first on the grass as Dante plunged the blade deep into her back. She screamed out and faded away dying, leaving the human world for the clutches of the underworld.

Nearly fifteen of the black-scaled, demon replicants came at Dante. They all ran right at him but he cut them to ribbons easily and quickly. The last one being the original who he caught by the throat and made her go to her knees. Squeezing the life out of her as he pulled back on the blade and jammed it right down her mouth having the sword/arm thrust through the back of her head. Slashing up, he cut her head in-half and threw her corpse to the side.

Standing alone was the red man demon, looking around only seeing the green, armored demon just now getting out of the pile of rubble. The two stood Dante down.

Like a gargoyle of Hell, Dante stood with his fists locked and his demon eyes staring a hole right through the two. His black horns and volcanic flesh surging with power. A powerful bass belted from his throat sounding as powerful as any demon lord they had heard, "You! You prey on the weak!" Looking back at the crowd with harshness. "All of you!" Looking back at the two. "When you face down a demon of equal or greater power, you fold! Now I prey on the weak."

Dante slowly gaited towards the two as the red man screamed with both fear and rage. He launched himself with everything he had. Dante held up his hands and unleashed a storm of power. The red man was torn apart by a stream of fire and lightning lead. He melted down into a red blob howling to the sky for help. Reaching out with his melted torso sinking deeper, he begged for help from his bigger partner. Screaming for aid as the big green demon just shook with fear at Dante. One final yelp left the red man as he was burned down to nothing fading off the field back to Hell.

Shaking furiously with fear, the big, green giant began to run but Dante lifted off the ground with his wings and flew over blocking the green demon's escape. Folding up his fist he looked at the bigger demon saying, "Nothing but a bully." Quicker than any demon could track, even Argosax, Dante had punched his fist through the stomach of the armored monster. Grunting with fear and falling to his knees, the big demon looked at Dante whimpering out like a dying animal. Trying to say something but Dante just drove his fist in deeper with the giant falling back. Dante removed his hand and came out of his DT state as he watched the last beast fade into the grass and disappear from the makeshift arena.

Thin, monstrous eyes stared at Dante from Argosax's possessed skull. The crowd was in silent shock as Dante took a long, deep sigh not ever wanting to go into his Devil Trigger but he had been hurt too bad and it had triggered him. He couldn't do it again if he wanted either. He was tired. It had exhausted him letting that demon side of him take a hold of him that strongly.

With gritted, sharp teeth, Argosax said, "You think you have defeated the arena?! Not by a long shot! Prepare for the trial of self!" Throwing his arm in the direction where the naga and the four had exited. The audience stared intensely when Dante removed Rebellion ready for anything. Anything except what happened next.

Standing in the bleachers, slow clapping came a man in a black trench coat with two swords on his back. He walked down among the demonic crowd and Dante gave a tired smirk saying, "Well - well!"

The man sneered happily.

Dante said, "Vegdax."


	49. Sudden Death: 3

Vegdax leapt from the bleachers and stood on the stadium grounds still slow clapping. He came ten feet from Dante furiously slamming his hands together slowly until coming to a stop. He just stood there with a sneer on his face.

Releasing the grip on Rebellion, Dante stood proud and asked him, "So, did you enjoy the show?"

"Was never one for sports." Vegdax's sneer increased saying, "Here I am, having what I want, and I can't even enjoy it."

"Balscoth a little miffed about you loosing Joshua? Is that why you're with -" Dante motioned up at Argosax. "Him?"

"You think you're so clever, don't you? Then tell me demon slayer, where is he?"

"Like I'm going to tell you."

"Because you don't know where he is either!"

Looking around with a slight, cocky smile, Dante said, "This will do. A modern day coliseum." Slicing Rebellion from his back, Dante asked with sword in-hand, "A bit poetic, don't you think?"

Slicing his own swords from off his back, Vegdax answered, "Was never one for poetry."

Striding over to a better fighting position with his sword lazily on his shoulder, Dante whimsically chanted, "To fair this day a fight, and a randy one at that. Whosoever receives this sword in their chest, won't live through the night."

Vegdax retracted his neck back with a sneer, "That doesn't rhyme!"

Spinning Rebellion with vigor, "Everyone's a critic."

The two went at each other headlong slamming all three blades together sparking the field with bright light. They both spun slamming their swords as the two began to attack each other. Dante wasn't holding back as he backed Vegdax down putting him on the defense. Swinging Rebellion, aiming at one of his legs, Dante spun low to the ground. Vegdax back-flipped, spinning his two katanas in front of him.

Going at Dante like a wild demon, Vegdax sliced-and-diced going at the devil hunter hard. Dante easily defended attacking with a few strikes of his own. A stab at his chest and another full swing. Vegdax using Rebellion's blade as he hopped into the air slicing for Dante's head. The son of Sparda avoiding the slash as he jumped back from Vegdax being slightly impressed at his prowess.

Swinging both katanas, Vegdax went back on the attack slicing both swords and then trying to cut the devil hunter's legs off. Bringing down both blades onto Dante's shoulders, Dante brought his blade up blocking the two swords as he spun off him, spinning his sword, trying to thrust it into the demon's back. Vegdax spun and sliced for Dante's head. Dante ducked under it and went for a straight stab. Vegdax sliced away Rebellion going for a hard slice to Dante's arm. Sidestepping, Dante spun Rebellion knocking away both katana blades.

That didn't stop Vegdax though as again he went at Dante with the red-coated hunter having fun blocking the infuriated Vegdax. The black-coated demon going at his counterpart like mad. Dante just held up his sword having to only make small twists of his wrist. No matter how hard Vegdax slammed his two blades into Dante's, he made no progress. The son of Sparda was just far better. He had pushed Dante all the way back to one of the field exits as he now resorted to just slamming his swords down on Rebellion like drumsticks.

Screaming at Dante he pulled his shotgun and that was when Dante casually sliced his hand making him drop the shotgun. He then slammed the hilt into his head knocking his demonic clone to the ground. He went to cut into him but Vegdax rolled grabbing his shotgun aiming it. Dante kicked it, throwing his aim off, making Vegdax jump back. Rolling back for his gun, Vegdax sliced at Dante and grabbed the shotgun all in the same move. Tucking the shotgun back under his coat, Vegdax stood with one katana out.

Walking casually around his opponent, Dante asked, "So why are you with Argosax now?"

"I'm not you stupid fool! Argosax just promised me this little meeting with you. I couldn't resist."

Dante slyly asked, "And if Balscoth finds out you're playing ball for the wrong team?"

"He won't because I'm not. Argosax just offered me a chance at you."

"And if you fail?"

Vegdax looked up at Argosax. He shrugged his shoulders and then looked back at Dante saying, "I won't."

Argosax crossed his arms, "Do it! Kill him Vegdax! Do it now!"

Standing-by, Vegdax looked back up at Argosax. "What if I don't defeat him?"

With a slick smile, Dante looked at Argosax, "Yeah, if I beat him doesn't he go back down to the pit? I'm sure Balscoth would love to hear about that. From what I understand Argosax, even in your most powerful state, you aren't fit to lick Balscoth's boots. What happens when he figures out you sent one of his best enforcers back to the inferno? Never mind what he'll do to Vegdax. What will he do to you?"

That little imp's face went pale with fright. Argosax knew he was nowhere near as powerful as Balscoth. He tried to misdirect Vegdax wanting to take the risk for vengeance against the demon slayer, "You see what he's trying to do?!" Argosax pointed at Dante, talking to Vegdax, "He's trying to turn us against each other!"

Vegdax looked at Dante with calm eyes. Cool and level-headed he looked back up at Argosax, "No. I don't think he is. Even if he was, he's doing a great job. You're a demon lord Argosax, what would happen to me if I go back down in the pit and Balscoth finds out I was fighting for you right now instead of doing what he wanted?"

A growl came from Argosax, "You were born in the pit, you figure it out! Look at him Vegdax. This is what you always wanted! He cannot even go into his demon form right…"

"What?!" Vegdax asked, looking at Dante with wide, angry eyes.

Dante just easily said, "Its true. I can't. Don't have the power and I'm too tired."

Looking at Argosax, Vegdax pointed up at him with one of his katanas, "You said he'd be in tip-top condition when I met him!"

A sneer accompanied by a low growl streamed over Argosax's face. In his imp body he said, low and angry, "What did you think?! Did you think you could beat him at full strength?! I planned this!"

Both the demon and demon slayer looked at each other.

"The naga got him fired up thinking I had no surprises for him. Then, the four came to beat on him mercilessly and get him to that demon form. He wears than down then you finish him off."

Shaking with anger, Vegdax yelled out and stomped away from Argosax and Dante like a scolded kid.

Not being able to help it, a large smile came over Dantee's face as he said to Argosax, "Awww Argosax, I think you made him mad."

Grumbling and spurting confusion came from the demon lord, "Well - I - what the - Vegdax! Get back here and finish him off! Right now!"

Turning back around with a mean jeer at the demon lord in a weak demon's body, "I wanted him at 100%! And you - you cheated me out of it! You played this stupid game thinking I couldn't beat him in his demon form! I wanted him at his best so I could beat him at his best so I could be the best! But you - you didn't trust me to do it! It is true what they say, you really are a weak, pitiful lord of the underworld. No wonder you have to throw on this crap-tacular." Referring to the football field and all the demons in it. He gave a casual glance over at Dante and then back at Argosax, "No wonder he kicked your ass so easily last time!" With that, Vegdax sliced right through the red barrier holding him back with Argosax screaming at him. Just roars of anger.

With a smirk and a swing of Rebellion back into its sheath, Dante said to Argosax, "You know, he might be a jerk but at least he's an honorable jerk. Reminds me of - me."

Dante then began to head out of the stadium as Argosax yelled at him, "Get back here! Dante!" The demons in the seats began to fade off. The stadium was returning back to normal as Argosax lost his grip on the building. The lights began to dim and the seats became bare as Argosax continued his raving, "Dante! Turn around! You think Kyrie is safe?!"

Dante stopped. He was mere inches from the exit that Vegdax had sliced open. Turning his head slowly looking at Argosax with evil eyes over his shoulder. Red power surged, flooding his body. His power was returning. In a dark, low-tone, Dante said, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh wouldn't I?" Argosax saying back in a cocky, ego-driven manor. "I'll hit you were it hurts Dante." Bringing his hand contemplatively to his chin, Argosax asked, "By the way, how is Morrison doing?"

Turning around, Dante folded his black-gloved hands into fists, "You, you won't lay a finger on them! What do you want?!"

Arching his neck, tilting his head up with a sly look, Argosax said slyly, "Don't you know? I want you dead and broken at my feet. Never forget Dante, I may be a weak demon lord, but I'm still a demon lord. I still have demons under my control. Demons ready and willing turn your life into a living hell. Now, you may be able to handle them but what about those precious humans you keep around you? How well can they fight demons? Your mother didn't fare out to well, did she?"

With that, Dante ripped Rebellion from it sheath and charged right from Argosax, jumping in the air, flying right for him. The imp threw out its arms and a bright beam blasted out of its body sending Dante reeling back landing on the field with a small crater in his wake.

Convulsing the beam blasted into the sky and then faded off leaving the imp charred, falling off the red skull platform onto the ground. Its body faded into the field grass as large cracks of red lightning surrounded the stadium.

Getting up quickly, Dante ran for the exit escaping the stadium, running out into the parking lot with the entire building collapsing down to the ground. A large plume of smoke and debris rose up as if a bomb had gone off.

Dante had to put up his hand as a wave of smoke and destruction hit him. After everything had settled, Dante tugged on his coat, saying to himself, "Football season is over anyway." Walking away from the collapsed building with his back to it and menacing eyes towards the horizon.


	50. And Now, For Something Different: 1

**(I'll bet some of you are expecting a 50th chapter celebration. Well, this is sort of that. I thought I'd give the agency a little time off. Truth be known I didn't know this was the 50th chapter otherwise I would have planned things out a little different. I still hope you enjoy it though as the title suggest it is something different. Now, if we hit are 100th...that will be a cause for celebration! And I know with your continued support of reviews and favs, we can do it! Cliche ****I know but the truth usually is.)**

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Joshua let his legs hang out of the boxcar watching the pale, desert land pass by. He kicked his legs like a small kid on a park bench looking back at Zarra who was standing behind him with her arms crossed and her chains inside her arms. She could extended them and fold them back into any length she deemed necessary.

Having a hard time not looking at her, and not just because of her body although that was a big part of it, Joshua tried to find other things to focus on. Having her arms folded like that pushed up her chest which Joshua desperately wanted to stare at but he forced himself to be a gentleman. Another reason was she was a demon, yet she had not hurt him throughout the entire trip.

"I - I -" Joshua lost his confidence.

Zarra looked at him menacingly with a jeer and just spouted, "You're - what?"

"Why - Why haven't you - where are we going?"

Zarra shrugged.

Looking back out at the dusty landscape, Joshua nodded to himself and got to his feet. "I want to know where we are going?"

Jeering back at the young boy of fifteen, Zarra just demanded, "Sit down!"

"No!" Joshua yelped with a stern look.

Unfolding her arms with a glair, "You better sit down. Don't mistake my kindness for weakness!"

"I'm not. You have been very kind to me and I don't know why. Tell me."

Zarra twitched back. She was a little confused by the polite request but answered him, "Not my orders to harm you. Now sit down."

"What are your orders?"

"Shut-up."

"Not until you tell me something." Joshua said, folding his arms with a childish, stern look.

"I eat men's souls." Zarra gleamed.

"Oh bull!" Joshua shouted turning away from her. He stared back out at the passing desert with his arms still folded. "Why can't you tell me anything?"

"Not in the plan."

Glancing at her over his shoulder, Joshua exclaimed, "What plan?! Who's plan?!"

Looking away from the boy, Zarra just leered away with those green, reptilian eyes of hers. Contemplating on telling him a few things. "I'll tell you what." Zarra said looking back, "You answer me a few things, I'll tell you a few things. But don't get greedy!"

Josh turned around with slight enthusiasm. "Quid-pro-quo? Sounds fair."

Unfolding her arms in wonder, Zarra asked haphazardly, "Where did you learn that?!"

Facing away from her, Josh said sadly, "I read it in a book. I remember dorky things like that. When I was home I tried not to use words like that but I guess, out here, it really doesn't matter. Most of my friends were the jock types. Thought the world of themselves and their physique. Really it was just a show." Deciding to ask his earlier question, "Who orders you?"

A long sigh came from Zarra. "Balscoth."

"That's it?" Joshua asked.

"It's my turn." Zarra informed him harshly.

Nodding his head, Joshua waited.

"Why did you run away from home?"

Squinting a bit against the sun, Josh answered, "I didn't feel like being the major football star or the sports guy. I didn't feel like being the egghead either. I could have been any one of them but I didn't want to be neither." Joshua thought about his next question carefully. "This Balscoth, what does he want with me?"

A hard stare came from Zarra, "Greedy."

"So?!" Joshua spit out.

"You are not suppose to know yet!"

"Who says?!"

"Balscoth."

Looking at her with determined eyes, Joshua just sighed saying, "Go on, ask another question."

"So what did you want to be?"

A slick smile came over Joshua, "I don't know." Thinking he had gotten her back for her lack of information.

She shrugged. "Next question."

He didn't have to think long. "Who was that other guy?"

"Which one?"

"The one in the black coat."

"Vegdax."

Staring at her inquisitively, Joshua asked, "Who is he?"

Zarra shrugged again. "Even I don't know. He's new. If you want my opinion on him he's a lousy excuse for a demon. Plucked out of some pit for Balscoth's amusement." Looking at Joshua cautiously, "Don't tell him I told you that."

"So I'm going to meet this Balscoth?"

"Eventually. Now, don't get greedy." Zarra warned. "My turn. How old are you?"

Blinking with surprise, the light making his green hair slightly shine, Joshua asked on his own, "You don't know how old I am?!"

She shrugged. "I was never told. You look to be about fourteen - sixteen?"

"Fifteen."

"I was close. Your turn sport." The last word she growled out with her fangs showing.

"Favorite food?" Josh asked looking at her shyly.

"What?" She asked confused.

"Demons eat, don't you?"

Zarra looked away from him. She then said ominously, "Only when they want us to."

"Who?"

Still looking away from Joshua, Zarra said, "Demon lords."

"Balscoth, he's a demon lord, isn't he?"

Zarra nodded. Her eyes transfixed on the floor of the boxcar.

Thinking about his next question carefully he thought back to the church. Where she had snatched him from when he was talking to the red-coated hunter. "Zarra? Can I ask you something personal?"

"You just did." She folded her arms again and shrugged. "I suppose."

"Why didn't you react to being in that church?"

Surprised, Zarra hadn't thought of it until now. She knew one thing for sure, she didn't have an answer. She walked next to Joshua and sat down next to him. Josh was a little uncomfortable being so close to her but he swallowed it down trying not to stare. She sighed looking at him. "Your guess is as good as mine. I wasn't really thinking about at the time. I just jumped in when I saw Dante was trying to take you."

"What should have happened?"

"I should have burned. Been sent back to the inferno. I have never been able to enter a church before."

Rubbing his hands together, "How was it?"

"Strange. Kind of like being in enemy territory without enemies."

"Who was that guy? Dante?"

"A demon hunter. I knew his father. You know the saying, 'Fools step in where angels fear to tread'?"

Joshua nodded.

"Well, Dante's father faced down many fools."

"That guy's dad fought angels?!"

"Angels, humans, other demons - whatever he was sent after." Looking at Joshua with a glint of respect in her green, reptilian eyes, "I tell you, to see Sparda's blade in action was a treat for any demon. He was the best swordsman in all of the underworld. Mundus might be a blowhard, but when he made Sparda, he broke the mold!"

"Lost his best fighter, huh?" Josh asked, assuming Mundus was another demon lord.

Zarra hissed at the understatement, "He lost probably the best hell knight in existence. I'm a good enforcer but Sparda - Sparda was the best."

"What - what made him so good?"

"What? You mean besides his sword skills and his seemingly limitless power?"

Joshua looked at Zarra seriously, "Something had to make him the best warrior. Weapons and power don't make a good warrior."

Again, Zarra was surprised at how much he knew. How much internal knowledge he seemed to posses. "You're right. To you humans he was known as the legendary dark knight. But to us, he was the never-die knight. You could never keep him down. He took down humans and angels that I thought no demon could. Even Demon lords that Mundus himself couldn't fight with. They all fell before Sparda."

"What changed him?" Joshua asked.

"A human woman by the name of Eva. Dante's mother."

He then started to wonder what she had done but Joshua saw a town in the distance. A small, nowhere town. He looked at it and then at Zarra. "I'm hungry."

She nodded. "Yeah, you need to eat. We'll ditch the train and…"

"And travel southward. Double-back as they hunt for us northward." Joshua said fast, thinking it a long time before she did.

Looking at him with curiosity and bewilderment. 'Was there no end to his limitless IQ?' Zarra thought asking, "How do you know to do that?!"

"I avoided Vegdax and the clutches of this Balscoth this long. Are you really that surprised I knew what to do before you did?"

"Actually -yes!" Zarra said still not believing how smart he seemed to be.

He looked at her, standing with a more commanding voice than before, he ordered Zarra, "Stop the train."

Looking at him skeptically, Zarra walked over to the side of the boxcar and pounded on the wall. The train came to a slow stop. The two jumped off with Zarra walking over to the engine. Joshua looked at her curiously as she seemed to be talking to the engine. It appeared she was having an entire conversation with it.

Suddenly, the earth began to move and the engine lifted off the tracks. The engine itself wailed with this otherworldly hiss as the wheels bashed down into the dirt off the rails. Joshua's first reaction was to run but he stayed ready. What he would do if the train decided to run him over was a different matter entirely. Looking at the engine intensely he decided to stay next to Zarra.

The few boxcars came up as well. They all took their wheels into the dust along with the engine. Soon, the train was chugging along on desert floor with no rails underneath. It hissed back at Zarra and Joshua. Seemed like a calm hiss from the engine. Like a whining, machine-like goodbye. With that, the train was gone in no time.

Zarra turned to head towards the desolate looking town but Joshua said, pointing in the direction of the train, "You know, that probably won't be too hard to track. A train traveling off the rails."

Still walking towards the town, Zarra said to Joshua over her shoulder, "He's a lot harder to catch than you think. Besides, you or I won't be on him when they do find him. Now, you coming or what?"

His eyes still staring out at the long wheel tracks in the sand, Joshua finally turned and followed Zarra. They were quiet until Josh decided to ask, "Him?"

Looking down at the kid curiously, "Him what? What about him?"

"You called that train him. Is he a demon too?"

Staring at the town, Zarra replied, "Kind of."

"What kind of answer is kind of?" Joshua asked. Some of her double-talk was getting on his nerves.


	51. And Now, For Something Different: 2

Approaching the town they both came in behind a small building. In fact, the whole town was small buildings. A few houses, A general store that seemed empty, a few other stores, a library, and a large building that neither Zarra nor Joshua could identify. It looked like some kind of factory but neither one could be sure. It did however seem to have the most life as the parking lot was filled to the brim with vehicles.

The small building they came around was a diner. Nobody inside except for the counter person and a lonely man sitting at the farthest booth. Before walking in, Joshua stopped Zarra looking at her troubled. She shrugged asking, "What?"

"Isn't there - anything you can do about your eyes?"

"Like what? What's wrong with my eyes?" She asked a bit offended.

Quickly defending himself and his hidden feelings, "Oh nothing! Nothing at all! Its just that I don't know if people will react to them very well." Nervously saying it like he really didn't have a good excuse to begin with.

"I can solve that if somebody asks. Now, are you hungry or what?"

Sighing deeply, "I guess so."

The two entered with the counterman giving them a friendly greeting. More than what Joshua expected. "Hi! Welcome to Turblose Diner. What can I get for you?!" A wide smile over his face with nearly perfect, white teeth. A rag in one hand and a old fashioned ice cream scoop in the other.

A little off-put by the diner man, Joshua pulled away from him, heading towards a booth, "A menu would be nice."

"Coming right up young man!" The counterman said with more enthusiasm than humanly possible.

The two sat in a red booth next to a big window. They both were a little unease at the diner man's outgoingness. Joshua didn't know what was going on and neither did Zarra. She was on her utmost guard looking around, scanning for anything angelic or demonic. The menu was planted right between them as the man smiled at Joshua, "There you are young man, let me know what else you want, if anything at all! Okay?" Saying it like a happy slave.

With doubting eyes and a cautious attitude, Joshua replied, "Yeah, thanks."

Then the counterman looked at Zarra and had this despicable sneer cross his face. He walked away with Zarra staying calm. She didn't want to make a big scene and get Joshua in trouble. Not yet anyway. She smelled the stench of brimstone in the air. Something evil was going on in this town but as for what she wasn't sure.

Meanwhile, Joshua looked over the menu and saw a nice, big, fat, thick, greasy…no! He had to keep light. He saw a nice salad and decided to try that instead. He waved the counterman over. Heading over, the diner man was stopped by a customer who came in.

She was a small, dark-complexioned, oriental girl. Philippine or Korean. Only about six maybe five years old. Shoulder length dark hair with pouting lips. She had her head down and was silently crying to herself.

The counterman looked at both her and Joshua with fearful eyes. Changing his look quickly, he asked of the young girl, "What's wrong Nora?"

The little girl known as Nora looked up wiping the tears away from her eyes, telling the diner man, "My kitty, he's been missing for a week and I can't find him!" Breaking down into tears again.

Again, he looked at Joshua and back at the girl, "Well honey, I'm sorry but I have other things to attended to."

Quickly getting up from his seat before Zarra could stop him, Joshua approached the little girl. The diner man looked at Joshua with fear, "I didn't know she would do this!"

Squinting with confusion, Joshua commanded the counterman, "Quiet!"

He swallowed hard and backed away staying silent as instructed.

Bending down with a smile, Joshua said to the small girl, "Hi. I'm Joshua. This is Zarra." Pointing to the demon behind him.

Nora pointed at Joshua with a giggle, "You have green hair!"

Looking up with a grin, he said, "Yep. I sure do."

She had a bit more of a laugh at his expense and he didn't care. The counterman was sweating bullets at this point. Belting out with fear saturating his voice, "Please, she's just a child!"

Looking at the counterman slowly and menacingly, Joshua angrily said, "Shut-up!"

Looking down shamefully, he said back, "Please, its just the hair and she is…"

Standing up with a sigh of frustration, Joshua yelled out, "If you don't keep your mouth shut, I'm sicking her on you." Pointing back at Zarra. "She hasn't done anything violent for awhile. She gets these jonsings every once and awhile to do harm to somebody. It isn't pretty. Now please, shut your mouth or you won't have it for very long."

Shaking in fear, looking at Zarra who jeered at him, the counterman just shriveled up and whimpered a little bit.

Turning his attention back to Nora. "Now, you say you lost your kitten?"

She nodded sadly.

"Well, I'll help you find it."

Nora pleasantly and surprisingly asked, "You will?!"

"You bet." Joshua said with his hands on his hips, standing tall with a proud grin on his face.

Nora jumped slightly excited. Bending back down he asked, "Now, where did you see your kitty last?"

Nora sniffled a little and then said, "In my backyard."

"Alright. Show me."

The three left the diner leaving just the counterman and the lonely man in the back booth. A long exhale came from the dinner man. It was a breath of relieve. Until the man in the back booth sat up. He had not even moved since coming in. He walked up to the counter and sat on a stool in a brown trench coat with a brown fedora. No face with no body at all. Just the fedora and the coat. Some pants and nicely shined shoes. They were on a body that just couldn't be seen. Gloved hands balled into fists sat on the counter. A deep, demonic voice came from the brown-coated man. It reverberated with an evil deep tone. It was not human by any stretch of the imagination. "Do you know who that was?"

The dinner man just looked at the guy. "Yes I do." His voice still shaky with fear.

"So then, tell me, why didn't you ask what he was doing here so early?" Slipping a monstrous tentacle out of his glove. Spikes traveled down the writhing limb. They dug deep into the countertop with a calm fury.

"I - I thought that - he wasn't - informed!"

"He isn't. He is here too soon. Still, you should have found out why he was here." The bass, demonic tone while evil and otherworldly, was still calm and very level-headed.

"I didn't know what to say!"

Grabbing the diner man by the throat he dragged him nearly over the counter with hardly a stitch of clothing out of place. Just the arm and tentacle moved. That demonic bass voice saying again, "You could have said anything to keep him off the trail of the missing animals. You know where they went."

Gagging and choking at the strong grip of the slick, spiked appendage had around his throat, the counterman gasped out with barely an auditable, "Of course but I didn't know what to do!"

"Then you are useless to us." The hat turning towards the diner man.

Shocked and fearful eyes focused on the hat as the diner man gasped out, "Wait. Wait! I can still make sure he doesn't find out what is in the factory. I can keep him away from it."

The fedora turned away from the man pulling him over the counter completely and tossing him up against the bottom. The trench coat man got up, putting his black glove back on, disguising the thing as a hand once again. Not one ounce of epidermis showing. "Make sure he doesn't enter that factory. I shouldn't have to tell you not to kill him or hurt him but - don't do it!" Roaring out at the diner man making him climb to his feet in hysterics. The coated stranger then said, "If you were to deviate from this, I will be sure that Balscoth has your head for a million years to do with as he pleases. And you know the Lord can get very - inventive."

Bowing to the coated stranger, the diner man pleaded, "Yes, oh thank you for this wonderful chance to prove…"

"Move it!"

The diner man flew out the doors looking for Joshua, Zarra, and Nora.

They were over at Nora's house. It was a small white house with a fenced in backyard. It was nothing but dust and a leafless bush here-and-there but it was a backyard nonetheless.

Joshua looked around in the fenced up area while Zarra looked outside. Nora said to them, "Maybe you should call his name?"

Looking at her, Josh asked, "What's his name?"

"Mr. Sunshine. I named him that because it was just starting to be morning when I got him."

Josh smiled weakly and called his name. Zarra silently refused. Looking at the girl again, Joshua said, "Nora, why don't you wait for us in your house with your parents. Okay?"

"Okay." Nora said disappointedly. She stomped around her house and went in through the front door. Little did either the two see the diner man sneak in through the front door as well.

Scanning out a little farther, Zarra asked upset, "Why the hell are we doing this?! Looking for a cat! I've got to get you to Balscoth immediately."

Looking in a corner, Joshua said, "Not until we find this kitten."

Looking away, Zarra stomped over to the gate separating the backyard from the desert wasteland saying, "I don't take orders from you!"

Sadly looking down, turning his head toward Zarra slowly, Joshua said somberly, "I know Zarra. Please, just help me with this then you can take me - wherever."

Wild and shocked eyes stared at Joshua. Please? It was a word she had never heard used so closely to her name before. Well, not unless Balscoth was begging for her to cry. Even then it was rare. It was good to hear. She had to be sure. "What did you say?"

"Help me find this kitten, please!" Joshua asked, this time slightly more forcible but his gentle nature was still prevalent.

Not sure what to say, confused more than she had probably ever been, Zarra just simply said, "Okay."

A weeded bush sat just ten feet from the house and the backyard. Something drew Zarra to it. The stench of brimstone. It pungently hung in the air and was getting more rank as she approached. Bending down near the bush she picked up a small, severed tail. A tail belonging to a young cat. "Joshua!"

Snapping his head he came running and Zarra showed him what she had picked up. Staring at the tail he looked back at his demon companion, "You think…"

"I don't think - I feel it."

Wincing, turning up his nose, Joshua asked with a cough, "What is that smell?"

Zarra said with a sigh, "Brimstone."

"God it smells like - rotten eggs and burnt metal."

"Yeah, its enough to gag you first time you smell it. After a few months of the stench it just become a sort of burnt smell. Like heavily cooked meat." Zarra put the cat tail down where she found it standing up.

"What leaves that sort of smell?!" Joshua asked, stepping away from the bush.

With a long, drawn-out exhale, Zarra ominously answered, "Any demon of Hell."

"You don't have that smell."

"Yes I do. You just can't smell it because I have been in the human world for awhile. Here, smell my hand." she extended her hand to him.

Looking at it nervously, shaking from a lady extended her hand to him. Not only that, she was asking him to 'sniff' her.

"Well?"

Tilting his head trying to maintain composure he leaned in and took a whiff. "I can't…"

She grabbed him by the back of the head and shoved his nose onto her flesh. It was there. Even though the stench was there, he spent as long as he could feeling her skin. While the smell nearly made him gag, her skin felt soft and his hormones were going into overdrive. He pulled away feeling a tremble in the back of his throat from the smell. "Okay! Okay!"

Looking back at the dead cat's tail, Zarra said to Joshua, "There is only one thing that would eat a cat whole. Or any creature for that matter."

"I'm listening." He said still trying to get some of the lingering effect of the smell out of his nose.

"A hellhound."

"What? Like a skinned Doberman on fire thing."

Zarra spoke to him with confidence knowing all about them. More than once they had feasted on her guts and torn her limb-from-limb. Only to have Balscoth put her back together for it to be done all over again. "That's one type, yes. There are many different types. Misras, Blades, Marionettes, Basilisks, Endevours, Polasits, Infestants, basically any low-ranking demon that has no allegiance to a demon lord. They're up for grabs to the most ruthless and some aren't as low-ranking as one might think."

Intense eyes occupied Joshua's head. He stared down at the severed tail asking, "I thought you demons didn't have to - feed." The last word nearly sickening Joshua to say.

"Some." Looking at the tail herself. "Most just either do it because they remember it from when they were alive or - plain mutilation factor."

"It works." he said giving the 'devil' his due.

"Joshua." Nora's voice came making them both turn. Her voice sounding sad and fear-filled. Both of them now knew why. The diner man had her prisoner with a big kitchen knife to her throat. It was already covered in blood. He said darkly, "Stay right where you are boy. Hate to cut her up like her parents."

Joshua and Zarra tensed up. Though, Zarra not as much being confident that no human could hurt her and sure wouldn't hurt Joshua. Not really caring what happen to the girl.

Pressing the knife to the small girl's throat making her yelp out, "Help me!"

Joshua balled-up his fists. Trying not to scare the girl, "Its alright Nora. He isn't going to hurt you. I promise."

The crazed diner man said, "Don't make promises you can't keep. Now, tell your 'pet' to stand over there. Far away so we can have a chat." Motioning towards a small patch of desert.

Looking over at Zarra, Joshua requested, "Go on Zarra. I want to hear this maniac out." His voice powerful and demanding.

Glancing over at him doubtfully, Zarra slowly walked over to the small patch.

Licking his lips nervously, the counterman said, "Why did you come here? We weren't ready for you yet."

Sliding his head, looking at the counterman sideways, Joshua asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Everything was so perfect. You would have had everything of ours at your disposal. Now, you will get nothing!"

Calmly, carefully, and confidently, Joshua said, "I don't think I would want anything of yours!"

"Not mine! The whole town! We all wanted our lord. We kept all those hellhounds safe for you. All of them were kept cool and fed well."

Looking over, Joshua asked the only demon, "Zarra, what on Earth is he talking about?!"

Zarra could only responded. "I have no idea! He must be a familiar for Balscoth."

"A what?" Joshua blurted out.

"Don't you call me that!" The knife wielding, diner man shouted out. "I am a loyal servant of his lord and master, Balscoth."

"Like I said, a familiar." Zarra sneered. "Its what we call cultists and human worshippers in the demonworld. Pitiful bags of wasted flesh."

"Shut-up!" The diner man yelled. His grip slightly slipping.

Gawking helplessly at Nora, Joshua formulated a plan to help the little girl. It was sadistic but if it worked, the girl would be safe. Concentrating on the captor, "Wow. Balscoth must think you're useless."

"What?! Enough bad things. I have served the lord tirelessly!"

"Well then, prove it." Joshua said, faking a sly tone.

"I have!"

"Not from where I'm standing. Imagine what Balscoth would think if he saw you instead of her." Motioning over at Zarra.

"What are you going on about?"

Taking a step towards the deranged man, "Think about it. You kill his top lieutenant, take me to him instead of her, I think that proves your value."

The man's grip on Nora was loosening. Looking at Zarra wildly, "You think so?"

"Hey if I'm so important, I'll be sure to put in a good word for you. Just let go of her."

The diner man looked down saying, "Oh no! I let go of her, I lose my leverage."

"Hey, look at me." Joshua pleaded, pointing to himself. "I'm your leverage."

Letting go of Nora, the diner man walked right for Joshua still wielding his knife. Like a machine he came at him but didn't make it very far. Zarra lashed out with one of her chains smacking away the knife from his hand. Meanwhile, Joshua ran for Nora and picked her up in a strong hug.

The man dove for the knife but Zarra lashed out with her other chain, wrapping around the man, and dragging him towards her. Josh turned around so Nora wouldn't see what happened next. The diner man didn't have a prayer. When Zarra was done with him, he was in two pieces instead of one, painting the desert floor red.

Still coddling the young girl, Joshua walked her to the front of her house and set her down on a small stoop. "There now, you won't have to worry about him anymore."

With tears in her eyes, Nora asked, "Did you find my kitty?"

"No. But - uhm - I'll tell you what, I'm sure when he's ready, he'll come home all by himself. Cats are like that."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Do you have anybody to take care of you?"

Looking around, Nora said, "The babysitter down the road. She takes good care of me."

Seeing Zarra come around the corner with mean eyes, Joshua said, "Well okay." Stroking Nora's face. "You be good."

She turned around with a sniffle and despairingly went back inside never being right again.

"Damn!" Joshua exclaimed. He went over to Zarra who grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him harshly, "We are leaving now!"

Struggling out of her strong grip, Joshua yelled out, "No! There's still stuff I need to do here!"

Looking at him with fire she ensnared him in one of her chains. Falling to the ground helpless, Joshua struggled but it was no use. He was her prisoner. The chain cutting into him harshly. The cold steel rubbing him making him feel uncomfortable. He laid there looking up at her with the chain locked around him. She turned dragging him as he wiggled on the ground like a worm on a hook, Zarra said commandingly, "I don't have time for this! You will come with me. You will do what I say not the other way around! I will drag you like this all the way to Balscoth if I have to! Until Balscoth gets a hold of you, I am your god, get it?!"

Still struggling, Joshua yelled out, "Aren't you just the least bit curious as to what or where all these hellhounds are stored?!"

"I suppose I'll find out soon enough." Zarra said, dragging him across the ground easily.

"You'll get tired."

"No I won't."

"You'll get bored."

"No I won't."

"Would you please let me go?"

"No I won't!"

"I could get hurt like this."

Zarra stopped. Jeering out to the horizon she let out a huff. The chain slowly unraveled from Joshua's body back into Zarra's arm. Looking down at Joshua she nodded with restrained fury as he stood up. She then began walking away from him.

"Where are you going?"

Zarra waved at him not even looking back, "I'm leaving with you or without you."

Shrugging, Joshua went the opposite direction. His green hair shining in the midday sun. The heat making him tired and sluggish. He looked back and saw Zarra still walking not even effected by the heat. He yelled out to her, "What happens when Balscoth sees you without me?"

She just kept on walking.

Determined, Josh turned around heading out to find these hellhounds. Walking to the library he sat down out front thinking to himself, 'If I was a hellhound, where would I be?' He turned around and walked into the library. Looking around at the rows of books, and happy to be in the air-conditioning, he headed towards the front desk.

There was a young woman with some chewing gum. Reading a book apparently not interested in what was in it. Joshua walked up to the desk and asked, "Excuse me, do you have anything on demonology?"

A _tisk_ came from her of annoyance not even making eye contact with Joshua. "Yeah, you and everybody else who comes in here. Aisle 9 now buzz off!"

Thinking to himself about what the diner man had said about the entire town. He Stood tall with his hands folded behind his back and a devilish smile, "Is that anyway to talk to me!" Josh's voice sounding more lower and bass-filled than what he though he could do.

A slow turn of the lady's head and she was staring right at Joshua. His devilish grin getting wider. The woman nearly fell out of her chair. "But you…"

"Silence!" Putting his hand up in a formal and prejudice manor. "You will show me to the shelf."

Nearly falling over herself to get around the desk she lead the way. Joshua just smiled giddily from behind her. Approaching one of the tall, oak book cases she motioned down the aisle with a bow and a hand gesture to proceed. Stopping in front of her with several looks around the library, Joshua made use of his new voice, "Be gone!" She rushed away from him like a scolded dog. Grinning with arrogance he said to himself in his normal voice, "I could get use to this."

Proceeding down the aisle of books he found a few on hellhounds. Taking the books to a table and reading them he found a lot of bogus information compared to what Zarra had told him. Not to mention his own good judgment was cringing at some of it. One thing he found was some kind of concoction for a summoning spray made out of wolf hair and squirrel seamen. 'What kind of sick, twisted, perverted mind comes up with this stuff?' He thought sneering at the words. He did, however, find two bits of useful information. That hellhounds' appetites were insatiable and that they like to rest in cool places when in the mortal plane.

Leaving the books he walked out of the library back into the sweltering heat. Looking at the horizon the sun was heading towards the ground. Evening was approaching. The big factory lay before him as he looked out at the lowering sun. He knew better than to think a factory would be a cool, aired place to hang out. That was until he saw the some twenty AC units on the ground pumping at full blast into the large building. Plus, several heavy trucks with tanks of Freon. A large company logo of an O with two P's inside. Joshua noticed that was a strange logo.

Heading up to the front doors carefully as to not be seen he peered inside seeing a woman sitting at a desk and two big men standing guard. One was wearing a t-shirt with a rainbow and a unicorn on it. It didn't take away from his over six foot, bulging presence. Taking a few breaths to get himself ready, Joshua got back into character. He walked in confidently and looked at the three strongly and swallowed his nervousness down. Standing them down with his fists clenched. Bringing out that dark voice of his, "Do you know who I am?"

All three of them stood at attention like soldiers and the woman said with a gleeful spark, "You're army is ready, master!"


	52. And Now, For Something Different: 3

Keeping character and personally enjoying the act, Joshua said locking his hands behind his back like a commanding general, "Is it?"

The lady looked at the others with a scared look then back at Joshua with a forced smile, "Yes master! Of course. It has taken us a long time to get them ready."

An evil smile slid across Joshua's face, "We'll see." His eyes jeering at the woman and the other two men. She motioned him to the back. "This way dear."

Strutting like he owned the factory, Joshua walked past the three. He then stopped abruptly and the lady was going to accompany him but she stopped with him. He looked back with a menacing stare point at one of the men. The big man with the girly T, "And the next time I see you wearing that shirt, I will grind every one of you bones into powdered milk!"

Never had Joshua seen a beefy guy shrivel up in fear and squeaked out, "Yes master."

Turning back, Joshua was afraid of himself at that point. Not because he didn't mean it or because he felt he pulled it off. He was afraid maybe it wasn't as much of an act as he first thought. He did that a little too well. Shaking that feeling he marched on as the girl from the desk followed behind him. The two men stayed guarding the front door.

Going through a well-cooled office space he entered into the actual working part of the factory. It was as cool as the offices. It smelled of oil and looked like it should be housing huge machines. Yet it didn't. What it did contain was something that Joshua couldn't get over.

Rows of humanoid demons with chain leashes. Attached to the leashes were two and three, large hellhounds. They were a blaze with fire and looked just like Joshua thought they would. Burning, skeletal Dobermans with black tongues lolling out. Looking to the left and right on vigilance. The humanoids were black bodied, muscular beings with pearl orbed heads. They stood at attention in rows like an army. There must have been close to a hundred or more.

Joshua looked back at the woman dropping his bass voice reverting back to his normal voice. "Are there more?"

She looked at him with a nice smile. "Many. We are housing nearly three-hundred of them. That's nearly a full company!"

Clearing his throat with confusion, "All for me huh?"

"Of course."

Shaking his head, Joshua made up his mind. These things had to go. "I want all these things gone."

Shocked, the lady asked, "But lord, are you sure?!"

Blinking with uncertainty, Joshua walked down the ranks of the orb-headed, hellhound handlers. He knew he shouldn't be reveling in them but he couldn't help it. Something felt so right about it. Like he belonged here. Heading to the front ranks, Joshua bent down in front of one looking at the hellhounds it restrained by the chain leashes. The two infernal canines looked at Joshua and sat down with their cropped tails waggling. Reaching out, Joshua cocked his head petting one of them. It licked his hand lovingly. Joshua smiled. He had never seen anything like it and the fire on it did not burn him. It warmed his hand as he petted the creature. Feeling the slickness of it head and rubbing its inner ear hole, not being able to pet its ears since it was just a skull.

Standing up, Joshua saw the woman come around, telling him, "See, they are very loyal, sir. Why would you want to get rid of them?!"

Smiling with a repressed sadness, Joshua asked, "What have they been eating?"

"Well master - I mean - they have to kill. At first we had an abundant amount of farm animals but then we had to resort to local pets. They don't have an appetite except to kill, not actually eat. So naturally, dead flesh wouldn't work. But don't worry sir, once you can take them out, they'll have all the living flesh they could ever want."

"What do you mean?" Joshua asked looking at her inquisitively.

Confused, the woman answered, "When you attack the major cities master. I hear they enjoy the flesh of young babes." A wide smile coming over the woman.

Sneering with an anger at even the suggestion of letting the hellhounds feast on a baby. Josh's bass, dark tone was back, "You sick, demented chick! How dare you even suggest I would feed these things children!"

Worried, perplexed, and scared, the woman questioned, "But master I thought that…"

Before she could finish another voice came from above both of them. "He's not ready!"

Both of them looked up as a unseen man in a brown trench coat and a fedora walked ominously above them. His gloved hands gripping the railing on the catwalk. Staring down at them, stopping right above them, his voice was twisted and demonic yet calm and eloquent, "As it stands right now, Balscoth has not shown him the true ways to reformation. He needs to be taught how to lead. How to command and enforce. He is not our master. Not yet."

The covered man jumped from the catwalk down to the floor stripping himself of the clothes as he did. What landed in front of Joshua and the woman was some kind of black tentacle nightmare. Its humanoid form writhed with at least ten tentacles, five on each side. Its hips extended to a jumble of octopus legs sliding along the ground like an octopus. Its arms branching out into several writhing limbs on each. Six red eyes inside its skull-shaped head. They all were focused right on Joshua. Several horns protruded from its head all of them covered with small spikes. Large flaps where his mouth should be opening and shutting. He stood over Joshua letting his arm tentacles wave about. That same voice telling the green-haired boy, "The lord sees something in you. I see only failure." It wrapped one of it arms around the woman and lifted her with ease.

Kicking out against it, she squealed, "Am I not worthy?!"

Watching her struggle, Josh fixed his gaze on the tentacle monster. "Put her down!" His voice losing its domineering overtone even though he tried in vain to keep it.

Cocking his head, the monster said with a sliding smirk, "You think she is worthy of keeping around?"

Looking around, Josh said, "Yes. Just put her down."

"Then prove it."

"How?"

Looking back at the woman, "If you have to ask -" He snapped his arm snapping the young woman's neck. Dropping her and looking at Joshua with an evil glair, "Then you are not ready." Taking a few slides towards Joshua backing the boy up, "And - you are seriously getting on my nerves. I think it would be better if Balscoth found someone else. Someone a bit more worthy of leading me. I come from a different lord and I thought that Balscoth would be a winner but if he is putting his faith in you, then I was mistaken. I'm just going to do him a favor and kill you right now."

Surprised and afraid, Joshua looked around at the hellhound handlers. On a whim he pointed at the tentacle monster, commanding, "Take him away from here!"

The ranks of demons stood still as stone. Some of the dogs barked but that's all that happened. The demon glanced at the rows of other demons saying happily, "They won't listen to you."

Gulping frightfully, the terrified boy just backed up against a wall saying, "What do you think Balscoth will do when he finds out you killed his - possession person!"

Stopping, the monster laughed, "A vessel? Is that what you think Balscoth wants you for?!" Shaking his head, "Wrong!" Approaching the boy.

Glass shattered from above as both looked up seeing Zarra jumping through a window and landing perfectly, cracking both chain whips at the black octopus demon. The chains whipped past the beast with Zarra yelling out, "Go ahead. I've been wanting to kill something all day."

Hissing out with hate, the monster said, "Zarra. Nice work keeping him on his way to the lord." Sarcasm dripping from his malformed mouth.

"What can I say, people need to eat. Be thankful I stopped in this crummy village and not one of the others. Could have been dangerous if it was garrisoned by another lord."

"And did he get anything to eat?" He asked slyly knowing very well he didn't.

Zarra shamefully pointed at the boy, "No. It was his fault!"

"Nobody knows what Balscoth is up to."

"The Sparda boys do. They'll be coming for him too."

"The Sparda boys?" The tentacle demon asked with a spurt of indifference. "You honestly think they can stand up to the likes of Balscoth?"

"Just one took down Mundus single-handedly, what do you think all three of them could do?"

"Three?" He asked confused.

"Oh" Zarra dragged out with arrogance now having the verbal upper-hand. "Didn't know about Nero, did you? Been out of the loop awhile?"

Whipping one of his tentacles for Joshua, Zarra snapped it back with her chains angrily, "You mind telling me what killing him will accomplish?!" Standing right in front of Joshua. Pushing the boy back to protect him.

"When I joined Balscoth…"

"Ah damn it!" Zarra hung her head.

"What?!"

"You're going to monologue! Look, I don't have the patience so you mind if we fight while you lay out your history?"

"Why are you being rude?"

"Because I don't like you. Or, you could go with the obvious answer that I'm a demon. Take your pick."

The tentacle beast charged Zarra but she wrapped him in her chains and tossed him to the side. He was back up quickly charging again only this time from the air. Latching onto Zarra's throat, tossing her to the way side as she crashed through a few of the demon guards. The hellhounds not attacking anything but certainly growling at Zarra for landing on top of them. Shaking it off, Zarra got back up and was immediately pummeled right through a cement wall. She tumbled into another part of the factory with a trail of debris rolling off of her.

Staying on the ground she heard the other demon's voice. A little agitated but still sounding completely calm. "When I joined Balscoth it was to get away from my abusive master. I thought that time under Balscoth would be wonderful. You know what I found out?"

Acting fast, Zarra whipped out one of her chains but a tentacle grabbed it and threw Zarra into the air and then slammed her back down on the floor. He repeated this two more times before wrapping her up in those black limbs of his and choking the life out of her. He went on wanting to see her head pop as he choked her. "Boredom! Everlasting boredom! For the past two decades all I have been doing is preparing for this little bastard's time." Referring to Joshua, his voice now raising and becoming more monstrous by the second. "Now that he is here I am unimpressed. Where is the greatness I was promised!"

Sliding one of her chains around the demon's throat, pulling him off, throwing him into some unused machinery. He bashed into it making the thousand pound contraption waver and bend in on him. Folding up entrapping him in metal. Zarra coughed out, "Two decades?!" Saying it surprised. She stood up with a long sigh, telling the downed demon, "You want to complain about boredom, you try doing it for two centuries and then nobody shows up! You come back and you talk to me when you do that!"

Pulling himself from the large machine, gliding out like a snake, the tentacle demon stood saying, "I never had that problem with my previous lord. We just had to wait and when the time was right - annihilation!"

Snapping both chain whips, Zarra marched at him with a malicious look in her eyes. The demon got the drop on her though, grabbing her leg, tripping her, and then knocking her away into a conveyor belt. She smashed into it making it bend and break on itself. Sending several rollers rolling away and the black belt lay in ruin. She tried, struggling to get up.

Gliding towards her came the monster. Hissing at her, "If I get rid of Joshua, then we can get back to basics. Murder! Chaos! Degradation!"

Slipping with a grunt of pain, Zarra said, "What makes you think I won't tell Balscoth that you killed him?"

Picking her up above his head, the demon held Zarra, looking at her, "What makes you think you'll be alive to tell him?" He then whipped her around slamming her into a clear, plastic enclosure around a large machine. Bouncing her off of it making her fall to the ground face first. Gliding around her, he picked her up by her legs and neck. He began to pull her apart. The spikes on his tentacles cut into her as she grinded her teeth in misery trying to attack.

Joshua came running over, yelling at the beast, "Stop it! Put her down!"

Looking at him with jeering eyes, the monster asked back, "Or what? Huh? What's the repercussions if I don't follow you?"

Zarra struggled with a helpless look in her eyes. Demon blood emptying from her body.

"I'll - I will - I'll do something terrible to you!"

Smashing Zarra on the concrete floor he knocked her out of the way and stood right above Joshua with a whispering coming from him. An evil whispering echoing from his body as he writhed above the green-haired boy.

Folding his arms, the demon said, "Well, I'm ready."

Joshua looked at him confused, "Ready for what?"

"This terrible thing you're supposedly going to do to me."

"That was only if you didn't let her go. You did so there's…"

"You disgust me! I was suppose to take orders from you?! Not in a thousand eternities!" Raising one of his tentacles he was going to drive the spikes deep into the boy's head. Joshua just stood there as Zarra threw out one of her chains and it was knocked away by the tentacle monster. "You just don't learn! It's over!" With a roar he raised another planning on smashing Joshua's face into nothing. Closing his eyes, Joshua prepared. He wouldn't back down. He would except his gruesome fate.

Suddenly, a bright blinding light blasted into the factory. The roof was torn up and a rumbling came from the ground throwing everyone off their feet. The hellhounds and their handlers were immediately vaporized by the bright, white light cascading through the torn off roof. It blinded everybody. Zarra and the tentacle demon screamed in agony as time slowed down. Their skin lifting from their bodies in white hot ash. Joshua was unaffected. Time continually slowed down as the kid crawled over to his friend Zarra worried about her. A quarter of her flesh gone. The white light burning into her anatomy now. He grabbed her and tried to shield her from its effects noticing none of them happening to him. She looked up at him shocked he was actually trying to help her and that was when she froze.

Confused and blinking with perplexity, Joshua turned and saw the same for the tentacle monster. He had frozen too in a pose of two of his tentacles reaching for Joshua and Zarra. Seeing aclock it ticked no more. All time had stopped. The bright light dimmed a bit and the effects of it stopped on the two frozen demons. Standing up, Joshua asked himself, "What the hell is going on?!"

A powerful man's voice came from above him out of the white, blinding light. Joshua thought he recognized it. It sound like Dante's voice only older and much wiser. "Guess again."

Joshua looked up and saw a shadow come out of the light walking down invisible steps from up in the sky. He had to put up his hand but the image of the man became clearer as it stepped into the plant and out of the white light which seemed to blanket the sky. The man walking down from the sky had buckled boots. He flexed his hands with white, soft gloves. A purple coat with golden highlights. A white vest underneath with purple dress pants on. Tucked underneath the white vest was a bright purple, silk handkerchief. A huge sword on his back made of steel and gold. The blade itself was as wide and big as the man's back but the tip branched into two skewers. Notched teeth ran up the one side of the blade as the other was cover nearly to the tip in gold. The hilt was also gold with a clear diamond orb on top. Around his neck was a golden gross with a red ruby in the middle.

He continued walking until his boots touched the floor and he stood in front of Joshua with a slight smile on his face. His head held high with combed aired-back hair. Joshua pointed to his hair. "Your hair is white!"

With a smile and a calm tone to his older, strong voice, the sky-walker said, "And yours is green."

Wild, wide eyes came over Joshua, "You -you're -" He couldn't finish.

"I am Sparda."


	53. And Now, For Something Different: 4

Backing away from him, Joshua said in astonishment, "You're an angel!"

Walking around the child, Sparda said confidently, "I am an archangel."

Looking at him in shock and fear, Joshua struggled to talk. "I'm sorry its just - just that - well I mean - why - uhm - why are you here?"

"Follow me." Sparda said walking away from Joshua towards the front of the factory. Looking around, still not believing that he was following an archangel, Joshua shrugged and began to follow Sparda. Following him, the boy couldn't help but ask, "So, where's your wings?"

Sparda's heavenly sword split apart forming into angelic, metal wings. Most of the feathers were gold with the bottom ones made of steel. There were claws sticking out of the tops seemingly crafted out of diamond. Both of them moved like regular wings with a five foot span looking like crafted eagle wings. Joshua couldn't help himself from uttering out a quiet, surprised, "Whoa."

They folded back into the sword as the two walked on. Feeling that he had to ask, the boy uttered out, "Can you still use those wings and your sword together?"

"Of course." Sparda's voice a bit cold but sill willing to answer the boy's fascinated questions. Even though Sparda had been dead for a long time, he was still very sympathetic to humans.

Proceeding to the cafeteria, Sparda turned a few corners and entered. Joshua right behind him. He sat down at a small table and invited the fifteen year old to sit across from him. Slowly sitting down, Joshua nervously asked, "Will Zarra be alright?"

Cocking his head, Sparda sat with his gloved hands folded. "Why do you care about her?"

Retracting his neck a bit, the green-haired boy looked away from Sparda and then back at the angelic knight, "I - She's been very nice to me. She didn't have to be."

Nodding his head, Sparda; with a calm, intellectual voice asked, "You care for her?"

Fumbling on both his words and his hands, Joshua shrugged, shyly saying, "I guess so."

"You know she's a demon?"

"So were you."

"Touché."

"You didn't come here to ask me about what I'm doing."

Smiling wide, Sparda said, "Actually, I did."

Turning his head, looking at the archangel sideways, "All this time with no one seeing angels for two thousands years, now all of a sudden you come to me! Why?! There's got to be more deserving people."

Tapping his fingers on the table, "I have watched my sons grow from on high." Sparda said, talking to Joshua like an adult. "All this time without being able to save them, not talk to them, not even to interfere with their dreams. And then - I finally get orders to come down to talk and who am I talking to?" Looking away from Joshua. "I've got nothing against you, son. Its just I wish I could talk to my real sons." He looked back at Josh with glassy eyes, "I'm sure you understand."

Nodding sadly, Josh said, "I do. I just don't understand why you can't."

Leaning back in his chair, Sparda pointed towards the heavens, "Because they keep you on a tight leash up there. When I was a demon I had free range to do whatever I wanted to, to get the job done. Now, there's all these rules and regulations. Talk to this person. Say this but don't mention that. Go here and make him aware but not the other. Don't send this demon. And it changes every time!" Rubbing his forehead, telling the kid with a drained voice, "When I was a demon everything seemed so simple. When I became a king of humans things got even simpler. Now, I'm just another soldier with a legion under my command and a potential recruit I need to interview." Motioning towards Joshua.

"Whoa! Wait-a-minute! Time-out!" Josh said frantically. "Potential recruit?! I'm not planning on dying anytime soon!"

"I know. Not what I meant." Sparda said sitting up with a bit more life to him. "Look Josh -" He began trying his best to talk down-to-earth with the boy. He found it tough not having negotiated and talked to anybody outside of other angels in a long time. "There's some - entities up there very interested in how a few of your key choices are going to play out. Namely my superiors. That's why I'm down here. I'm just the messenger."

"Key choices?"

"I'm sure you know about the civil war in the underworld right now?"

Joshua shook his head that he didn't.

"Oh well, yeah. There's a war being waged down there. All the big players are fighting for the prize of Earth. Anyone who takes the human world, gets the grand prize: A seat on the throne. But - its not important." Sparda said nonchalantly.

"A war in Hell sound like a pretty big deal to me."

Looking away from the boy and then back he forcefully smiled, "Yeah, a century ago I would have thought so too. Not the way it's going to happen. There's a bigger war coming. All this in-fighting with the demons, it's just a prelude. My superiors want to know what side you're going to be on?"

Confused and dumbfounded, Joshua was at a lost for words. He was very intelligent but this was going over his head. Looking back at Sparda, "I'm not picking a side except my own."

"I know Josh. You're going to do what you feel is right and I'm just doing what I'm told."

A little perturbed, Joshua just said, "I can't - I mean -" Slamming his head into his hand, "There is no way this is happening! I'm only fifteen! I wanted to do something with my life but I just - I didn't know this was where it would go!"

Looking at the child sorrowfully, "Josh, I know this is a lot to put on your shoulders. I know it is but you haven't heard any of it yet. What I've told you is the bare point on an island-sized iceberg. You are going to making choices down the road that will effect uncountable lives." Pointing at him, trying to lighten the mood a little bit, "You remember what you asked Zarra back on the train?"

Joshua looked away overwhelmed, "I asked her a lot."

"One thing in particular, son. Why didn't she burn-up when she was in that church with you? Do you remember asking that?"

Looking back at the tall, purple-coated archangel before him, Joshua replied, "Yeah, I do." Shrugging, wondering where this point of the conversation was going.

"The powers over mine have sanctified you. It's sort of their way of keeping an eye out." Cocking his head a bit, Sparda added, "Slightly."

Furrowing his brow, Josh felt the question tip-toe its way through him, "So, any demon around me is safe from holy - stuff?"

Sparda nodded. "For a certain area. It's not your fault that's just how it is. All beings around you are safe from Heavenly wrath. Unless, an angel interferes. Have to be a powerful one - like - me."

Desperately looking at Sparda, "Don't you think this is a bit much for me?! I mean, its too much pressure!"

Sparda smiled at the kid, "It's not my intention to pressure you. It's not my superiors' either. My job is to show you the path. You are free to choose whichever you feel comfortable with." Standing from the table with his hand out he helped Joshua out of his chair seeing the great weight on his shoulders. He knew he had just dropped a large stone in the boy's lap. "I shouldn't tell you this but - forget it - if you follow your heart and my sons' examples, I think you'll always make the right choice in His eyes."

"Who's?"

Sparda just smiled.

Smiling a little himself, Josh said with a spark of life, "Dante is pretty cool."

Patting Joshua on the back, knowing the child didn't know who he truly meant, "Yes he is."

"Can I tell him that I…"

"No. He's not suppose to know. Not yet."

"Well, if not now? When?" Joshua asked curiously.

Sparda let out a long sigh, "Whenever they tell me he's ready."

"Why are you so - bound?" Joshua asked curiously.

"There is a plan in motion here that no one can stop. Not you, not me, we just have to play are assorted roles."

Looking at him confused, "But you said that I was free to make my own choices?!"

"Josh, the game hasn't even started yet. The pieces are just being placed. You can decide whichever side of the board you want to go and however you want to proceed. You have freewill, my son. Use it."

Patting him on the back he let Joshua lead this time with the kid emoting a drawn, worried face. One of melancholy and pondering. He still didn't know what Sparda was talking about but he figured he would know in time. Many things swirled in his head and at the forefront was what he was going to do with the rest of his life. Feeling like he had just taken his first big step on an exceptionally long journey and the very scope frightening him. Yet, he proceeded on. Fearing only what would happen if he stopped.

Sparda walked back to where he had landed with Joshua heading back over to Zarra. Petting her face, Joshua looked back at Sparda as he was starting to hover back up to the sky. "Wait!" He yelled out.

He stopped several feet above Joshua and Zarra. "She'll be fine once I leave."

Struggling with the words, green haired Joshua finally got out, "Do you think - you could - help us out?"

Walking back down on air, Sparda blinked at the kid in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Pointing over at the tentacle monster, "Well, Zarra was having a hard time with him. Do you think you could - you know - smite him or something?"

Smiling at the boy, Sparda said with a sigh, "Been awhile since I've done anything like that. I'm not really allowed to interfere." Saying it, contemplating. Looking at the boy with a nose up chuff, "Alright. This is a freebie. Try to remember Joshua, I'm not a guardian angel, I'm not an advising angel, I'm an archangel."

"That means what?"

Sparda looked at the demon saying with a dark tone, "I'm under specific orders most of the time. But, most of the time, those orders are decimation."

Smiling at Sparda, Joshua began to say something but Sparda put up his hand and froze Joshua in time. "Sorry son, but my work is usually pretty horrific. You won't want to see or hear this." Snapping his fingers he brought the tentacle monster out of suspended animation as its tentacle hurtled towards Zarra and Joshua. Sparda stepped on it and squished it under his boot.

The beast roared out as it stood up looking at the archangel. It could barely look at Sparda as his Heavenly glow was blinding to him. The demon hurtfully said in agony of the light, "You will never stop Balscoth from getting the boy."

With a devious grin and a swipe of his giant sword from his back, Sparda countered with, "I'm counting on it. The boy must come to terms with it. When he does, he will make his choice."

"You angels! Always following orders. What if he chooses wrong?! Then what?! Huh?! He will burn Hell!"

Walking towards the powerless demon with his golden sword to the side, Sparda said confidently, "Perhaps you've heard that my sons are pursuing the boy? And they are much more powerful than I was. You think they'll let your master get a hold of him?" Getting mere inches from the demon, staring him down, "Besides, I'd worry less about the boy and more about your own black hide."

Sneering at Sparda, the monster asked sarcastically, "What are you going to do?! You angels are so predictable. Afraid to get your hands dirty. Go ahead, do your worst!"

Leaning in, whispering next to his ear, Sparda proudly queried, "Forget I was a demon once too? You have no idea what I've learned since being freed from Perdition. With time frozen like this -" Sparda said leaning back to stare at the fearful six eyes of the demon, "I have eternity to experiment."

* * *

Time came back and Joshua saw that Sparda was gone in a flash. Looking back at Zarra he helped her to her feet. He asked, "Are you okay?"

Healing from the skin that had burned away she said, "Yeah, I'm fine!" Wanting to turn the boy's help away. She couldn't bring herself to do it though. Flesh reforming on her as she asked, feeling like she had been hit by a truck, "What happened?!"

Glancing over where the tentacle demon had been was nothing now but a pile of black goo and a subtle, very faint screaming to be heard. It was his voice. So faint only Joshua could barely hear it. Even he barely made it out. Smiling a bit to himself, he said, "Come on, let get out of here."

Zarra nodded willingly.

The two walking towards the front with an empty room to cross. Still slightly out of it, Zarra looked around asking, "What happened to all of the hound handlers that were in here?!"

Jousha was actually leading Zarra by her hand careful not to trigger her chains by accident. "It's a long story Zarra."

Emerging out of the factory into the lat bits of light of a setting sun, Joshua took a deep inhale of the air. It was slightly dusty but he had gotten use to it. Zarra looked around carefully when she finally noticed Joshua still holding onto her hand. She pulled away from him harshly, "I said I'm fine!" Her evil, slit, green eyes piercing through his caring ones. Rubbing her hand tenderly she had no idea how to feel so she went back to her preset emotion: Anger. "Lets go!" Stomping away from Joshua.

"No." He said authoritatively.

She stopped putting her tongue in her cheek, licking her fangs aggravated. Turning a round swiftly, Zarra threw out her arms saying, "Okay. Then I guess I'm going to have to start dragging you again." Her chains slowly sliding out of her arms to intimidate Josh.

Putting his foot down, literality, he stared her down, "We are going to Balscoth but in my own time! We will double-back southward. Head west to the coast, then will travel in a zigzag, northeastern pattern. And I would like to take another train. This time one that actually transports other people!"

No matter how much she didn't let it show, there was no taking away from the fact all this absolutely stunned Zarra. She had thought he was feeling his roots in being her boss before but now he was throwing out a plan that was actually better than hers. Her plan involved all those things he mentioned but less thought-out. Looking off towards the blue and purple hued horizon she sighed turning back towards him, "When did you put on your 'big boy' pants?"

Joshua couldn't hide his surprise at her term for him. Shakily, but still trying to maintain a level head, he uttered out, "I had some help." Sighing, asking softening up a little, "Do you think its a good plan?"

Zarra wanted to say no. She wanted to throw it back in his face for multiple reasons. So many she couldn't count them all with most of them being emotional. But there were two reasons she didn't and those two ruled out all the others. First, was that it was a better plan than hers and would keep him safe. Second, was that he had asked her politely. He had actually asked her opinion. It made her feel needed. Like she was worth something again. She hadn't felt that way in many, many years. She smiled right at him saying, "Okay. We'll do it your way. As long as we're still heading towards him?"

"Yes." Joshua said.

Turning her back on him she began walking away.

Looking at the ground, thinking to himself, Joshua looked back up saying, "Zarra."

She stopped.

"I think that's the first time I've ever seen you smile."

Realizing she had, she nearly buckled with shock. Turning towards Joshua, looking at him curiously, she just nodded. An emotionless expression on her face.

Swallowing, Joshua got up enough courage and nervously put his hand on the back of his head, feeling his own green hair, telling her, "You looked nice wearing it. I wish you'd do it more often."

Turning away from him, she had no idea how to take that statement. What was it about her that made her so special to him? She knew why he was special to Balscoth but what made her so special to him? She would have to ask him sometime. One thing was for sure, she felt like she was needed with Joshua. Like she served a purpose with him.

Walking past her, Joshua smiled at her and she retracted her neck back not knowing how to take it. Walking up to her, he extended his hand in a friendly gesture, "Partners?" He asked with that still same smile.

Looking at him and his extended hand like a coiled cobra she hissed out, "We need to get going." And pushed past him.

Folding up his hand with a sad look, Joshua weakly uttered out to himself, "Right."


End file.
